Src  ttoo 


^ 


GALATIANS,    ROMANS, 
PHILIPPIANS,  PHILEMON 


(       OCT  4   191 
An  antfryr^tattoii  nf  %  CttBltel,  »l.i^%  , 

Galatians,  Romans, 
Philippians,  Philemon 


BY 

B.  H.  CARROLL,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

President  of  Southwestern  Baptist 
Theological  Seminary 


EDITED  BY 

J.  B.  CRANFILL,  LL.D. 


New  York         Chicago         Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  125  N.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:     100  Princess  Street 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

The  present  volume  carrying  the  title,  "Galatians,  Rom- 
ans, Philippians,  Philemon,"  is  the  twelfth  volume  of  Car- 
roll's "Interpretation  of  the  English  Bible."  These  have 
appeared  in  the  following  order:  "Genesis,"  "Revelation," 
"Exodus-Leviticus,"  "Numbers  to  Ruth,"  "The  Pastoral 
Epistles,"  "Daniel  and  the  Inter-BibHcal  Period,"  "The  Four 
Gospels,"  Volume  I,  "The  Four  Gospels,"  Volume  II,  "The 
Acts,"  "James,  Thessalonians,  Corinthians,"  and  "The  He- 
brew Monarchy."  There  is  one  other  to  follow  covering 
the  interpretation  of  the  books  of  Colossians,  Ephesians  and 
Hebrews.  That  will  complete  "The  Interpretation  of  the 
English  Bible,"  to  be  followed  later  by  a  biography  of  the 
distinguished  author. 

The  present  volume  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  the 
series.  It  deals  with  the  deep  vitalities  of  the  Christian 
faith,  and  while  not  less  interesting  to  the  average  reader 
than  its  predecessors,  it  on  the  other  hand  dips  deeply  into 
what  has  come  to  be  known  as  theology.  Nowhere  in  Chris- 
tian literature  is  there  a  more  intelligent,  discriminating  or 
inspiring  discussion  of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  than  are  to 
be  found  in  this  book.  One  of  the  most  delightful  experi- 
ences of  my  life  has  been  the  preparation  of  the  manuscript 
of  this  volume,  and  its  proof-reading.  In  this  joy  I  am 
sure  that  Rev.  J.  W.  Crowder,  Professor  of  the  English 
Bible  at  the  Southwestern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary, 
heartily  joins,  for  it  has  been  his  task  in  connection  with 
all  of  these  volumes,  to  collaborate  with  me  in  arranging 
and  preparing  the  manuscript. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  depth  of  the  richness  of  this  vol- 
ume, I  venture  to  make  the  following  quotations  from  Dr. 


vi  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

Carroll's  luminous  discussion.  Concerning  the  book  of 
Romans  itself,  he  says : 

"It  is  the  most  fundamental,  vital,  logical,  profound  and 
systematic  discussion  of  the  whole  plan  of  salvation  in  all 
the  literature  of  the  world.  It  touches  all  men;  it  is  uni- 
versal in  its  application ;  it  roots  not  only  in  man's  creation 
and  fall,  but  also  in  the  timeless  purposes  and  decrees  of 
God  before  the  world  was,  and  fruits  in  the  eternity  after 
this  world's  purgation." 

With  reference  to  man's  self -righteousness,  so  thoroughly 
discussed  by  Paul  in  the  book  of  Romans,  Dr.  Carroll  has 
these  words: 

"These  good  deeds  that  look  so  mountainous  and  multi- 
tudinous begin  to  diminish  in  size  and  number  and  shrink 
and  pulverize  until  they  become  like  fine  dust.  One 
breath  of  wrath  blows  them  away  like  powder.  On  the 
other  side,  that  little  infinitesimal  group  of  evil  begins  to 
multiply  and  magnify  and  swell  and  tower  and  blacken  until 
it  is  a  great  mountain  range,  peak  after  peak,  oozing  with 
the  putrid  poison  of  that  abominable  thing  which  God 
hates— SIN." 

He  discusses  another  very  vital  matter — that  of  final  re- 
wards. It  has  become  the  rule  in  our  religious  literature 
to  say  when  a  good  man  dies  that  "He  has  gone  to  his  re- 
ward." This  has  been  written  thousands  upon  thousands 
of  times  by  men  who  knew  better  theologically  than  their 
words  expressed.  No  man  when  he  dies  goes  to  his  final 
reward.  Dr.  Carroll  emphasizes  this  great  fact  in  the  fol- 
lowing sentences: 

"No  man  is  competent  to  take  account  of  the  evil  of  his 
deeds  or  the  good  of  his  deeds  until  he  sees  the  end  of  their 
influence.  It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  do  anything  that 
terminates  in  himself,  but  it  will  surely  touch  everybody 
connected  with  him — father,  mother,  brother,  sister,  friend. 
Not  only  so,  but  after  it  has  cast  its  gloom  over  all  the  circle 


EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION  vii 

of  those  that  are  nearest  to  him  by  ties  of  consanguinity, 
there  is  that  awful  power  of  action  and  reaction  that  carries 
it  on  till  the  judgment  day." 

On  the  great  matter  of  man's  personal  responsibility  to 
God,  the  learned  author  says : 

"He  will  know  that  his  salvation  is  not  of  works,  but 
from  its  incipiency  in  God's  election,  to  its  consummation 
in  the  glorification  of  his  body,  that  athwart  the  whole  long 
extended  golden  chain  of  salvation  shall  be  written  in  the 
ineffaceable  letters  of  eternal  fire,  'SALVATION  IS  OF 
GRACE,'  and  across  the  whole  dark  descending  stairway 
to  eternal  hell,  over  every  step  of  it,  in  letters  of  fire, 
'MAN'S  DAMNATION  IS  OF  HIMSELF.' " 

In  discussing  the  sinner's  attitude  toward  Christ  we  have 
the  following: 

"It  is  the  hardest  thing  in  the  world  to  convince  a  sinner 
that  salvation  comes  from  no  merit  of  his,  and  that  faith 
is  simply  the  hand  that  receives.  Throughout  all  the  length 
of  the  great  chain  of  salvation  it  is  presented  without  dis- 
crimination of  race,  color,  sex,  or  previous  condition  of 
servitude." 

Concerning  the  plan  of  salvation,  Dr.  Carroll  gives  us 
these  words,  which  are  surely  "like  apples  of  gold  in  pic- 
tures of  silver :" 

"Christ's  one  act  of  righteousness,  which  is  the  sole 
ground  of  our  justification,  is  His  vicarious  death  on  the 
cross.  No  one  ought  to  preach  at  all — having  no  gospel 
message — if  he  does  not  comprehend  this  with  absolute 
definiteness.  If  we  attribute  our  justification  to  Christ's 
holiness,  or  to  His  preceptive  obedience,  or  to  His  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  or  to  His  miracles,  or  to  His  kingly  or 
priestly  reign  in  heaven,  where  He  is  now,  or  if  we  locate 
that  one  act  of  righteousness  anywhere  in  the  world  except 
in  one  place  and  in  one  particular  deed  we  ought  not  to 
preach." 


viii  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

I  have  thought  it  well  to  give  these  excerpts  so  that  the 
reader,  before  he  enters  upon  its  perusal,  may  gain  some 
conception  of  the  rich  mine  of  God's  truth  that  lies  out  be- 
fore him.  I  think  it  quite  unnecessary  to  say  more  about 
the  volume.  It  is  the  richest  and  most  helpful  discussion 
of  the  deep  things  of  God  that  it  has  ever  been  my  good 
fortune  to  read.  The  man  who  masters  this  volume  and 
whose  heart  becomes  saturated  with  its  truths,  will  be  a 
ripe  Christian,  meet  for  the  Master's  use.  Moreover,  he 
will  be  thoroughly  equipped  for  an  intelligent  discussion 
of  God's  great  plan  of  saving  men,  and  will  be  prepared 
for  an  effective  defense  of  the  gospel  against  any  who, 
through  ignorance,  or  through  malice,  may  misunderstand 
or  misrepresent  its  teachings. 

J.  B.  Cranfill. 

Dallas,  Texas. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Editor's  Introduction v 

I.     The  Book  of  Galatians — Author's  In- 
troduction    I 

II.    Paul's  Visit  to  Jerusalem 13 

III.  Justification  of  a  Sinner 23 

IV.  Justification  of  a  Sinner  (continued)  33 
V.    Induction  into  Christ 45 

VI.    The  Two  Covenants 59 

VII.    Special  Warnings  and  Teachings 71 

yill.    The  Book  of  Romans — Introduction 83 

IX.    Paul's    Salutation,    Thanksgiving    and 

Prayer    loi 

X.    Universal  Necessity  of  Salvation 109 

XI.    Universal  Necessity  of  Salvation  (con- 
tinued)       117 

XII.    Universal  Necessity  of  Salvation  (con- 
cluded)     137 

XIII.  The  Gospel  Plan  of  Salvation 147 

XIV.  The  Seminal  Idea  of  Salvation 157 

XV.    Salvation  in  Us 167 

XVI.    Salvation  in  Us  (continued) 177 

XVII.    Final  Work  of  Salvation  in  Us 187 

XVIII.    Harmony  of  the  Problem  of  Jewish  Un- 
belief with  the  Plan  of  Salvation  . .   197 
ix 


X  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

XIX.    Limitations  and   Merciful   Purpose  of 

God's  Rejection  of  Israel 209 

XX.    The   Doctrine   of   Salvation    by   Grace 

Applied  to  Practical  Life 215 

XXI.    Some  Fragments  of  Chapters  14-16 225 

XXII.    The  Book  of  Philippians — Introduction  231 

XXIII.  The  Analysis  and  Exposition 243 

XXIV.  God's  Providence  in  Paul's  Life 253 

XXV.    The  Deity  of  Christ 261 

XXVI.     Paul's   Libation    and   the    Christian's 

Growth  in  Grace 271 

XXVII.    The  Ministry  of  Tears  and  Paul's  Rec- 
ipe for  Happiness 283 

XXVIII.    The  Book  of  Philemon 297 


THE  BOOK  OF  GALATIANS 
I 

AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION 
Scriptures:  Gal.  1:1-17  and  all  references 

THE  Letter  to  the  Galatians  is  one  of  the  second  group 
of  Paul's  letters.  The  first  group  consists  of  I  and 
II  Thessalonians,  and  this  group,  mainly  on  the  great 
controversy  with  Judaizing  Christians,  consists  of  I  and  II 
Corinthians,  Galatians  and  Romans. 

On  the  Letter  to  the  Galatians  we  have  abundant,  good 
and  accessible  literature.  The  best  book  is  by  Lightfoot, 
and  every  preacher  ought  to  have  it  in  his  library.  I  also 
commend  Luther  on  Galatians.  Galatians  was  the  store- 
house of  Luther  from  which  he  drew  the  weapon  of  the 
Reformation.  In  short  homilies  he  commented  on  this  letter. 
His  comments  make  a  book  of  considerable  size.  Luther's 
"Commentary  on  Galatians"  is  very  valuable  in  showing  the 
crucial  point  at  issue  between  the  Protestants  and  the  Ro- 
manists in  the  time  of  the  Reformation.  Its  German  style 
makes  heavy  reading  to  an  Anglo-Saxon.  John  Wesley 
said  it  surprised  him  more  than  any  other  book  of  fame. 
Perhaps  a  large  part  of  his  surprise  grew  out  of  the  fact 
that  he  and  Luther  were  opposed  on  the  doctrines  of  grace. 
The  third  book  which  I  commend  is  Dr.  Malcolm  Mc- 
Gregor's "Divine  Authority  of  Paul's  Writings."  He  uses 
the  Letter  to  the  Galatians  more  than  any  other  part  of  the 
scriptures. 

1 


J8  GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

This  letter  was  evidently  written  A.  D.  57  or  possibly  56. 
It  was  written  from  Corinth  or  from  Macedonia,  with  a 
strong  probability  in  favor  of  Corinth.  The  Letter  to  the 
Galatians  bears  the  relation  to  the  Letter  to  the  Romans 
that  Jude  does  to  II  Peter,  and  that  Colossians  does  to  the 
Ephesians.  The  chief  topic  in  Galatians  and  Romans  is 
largely  the  same.  It  is  as  if  the  Letter  to  the  Galatians  were 
a  fiery,  ofif-hand  sermon,  and  after  the  storm  of  combat  had 
passed  away,  the  preacher  had  quietly  and  calmly  prepared 
a  masterly  treatise  on  the  same  subject,  Romans  being  the 
great  treatise  and  Galatians  the  oflf-hand  discussion. 

The  occasion  of  the  writing  of  the  letter  is  very  much  the 
same  as  that  of  II  Corinthians:  Paul  had  been  challenged 
as  an  apostle  and  his  gospel  assailed  by  the  emissaries  from 
Jerusalem.  There  are  shades  of  difference  between  the 
issue  at  Corinth  on  this  subject  and  the  issue  in  the  churches 
of  Galatia  and  the  church  at  Rome.  But  the  most  pro- 
nounced form  of  Judaistic  teaching  as  contrary  to  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  form  that  he  combats  in  this 
letter.  He  got  word  that  almost  the  whole  church  had 
apostatized  from  what  he  considered  the  gospel,  and  had 
gone  over  root  and  branch  to  the  Judaizers. 

Here  arises  an  important  question  which  in  modern  times 
has  developed  considerable  controversy.  Does  the  N.  T. 
use  the  word,  "Galatia,"  in  its  ethnological  sense  or  in  its 
political  sense?  If  it  means  Galatia  as  a  place  where  the 
Galatians  proper  lived,  there  is  very  little  reference  in  the 
Acts  to  Paul's  preaching  there.  If  it  means  the  Roman 
province,  including  Galatia  proper  and  certain  sections  of 
Phrygia  and  Lycaonia,  then  the  churches  in  Galatia  were 
the  churches  at  Lystra,  Derbe  and  Antioch  of  Pisidia.  We 
have  a  full  account  of  the  establishment  of  these  churches 
in  the  Acts.  Dr.  Ramsay,  a  very  brilliant  modern  writer, 
has  written  a  book  to  show  that  when  Paul  uses  the  term, 
"Galatia,"  he  uses  it  in  the  sense  of  the  Roman  province 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION  3 

inhabited  by  the  Galatians.  About  B.C.  25  Asia  Minor 
fell  under  the  power  of  Rome,  which,  disregarding  the  old- 
time  ethnological  boundaries  relating  to  nations,  established 
provinces  for  purposes  of  government,  sometimes  including 
three  or  four  of  these  nations.  Ramsay  makes  a  remark- 
ably strong  argument  which  has  never  been  satisfactorily 
answered.  But  he  leaves  unanswered  some  strong  internal 
evidences  on  the  other  side.  For  example :  ( i )  It  is  hard 
to  harmonize  the  contents  of  this  letter  with  the  account  in 
Acts  of  the  establishment  of  the  churches  in  Antioch  of 
Pisidia,  Lystra  and  Derbe.  (2)  All  the  characteristics  of 
the  people  addressed  in  this  letter  fit  better  the  Celtic  popu- 
lation of  Galatia  proper.  Like  other  Celts,  whether  in  Gaul, 
Wales  or  Ireland,  their  emotions  were  easily  excited  and 
as  quickly  subsided.  (See  Conybeare  &  Howson's  "Life 
and  Epistles  of  Paul"  on  this  point.)  They  were  intensely 
emotional,  easily  enthused,  bubbling  over  like  a  mountain 
spring,  variable  and  illogical.  So  we  commend  the  research 
and  scholarship  of  Dr.  Ramsay  and  respect  his  masterly 
argument,  yet  many,  in  view  of  the  counter  arguments,  deny 
that  he  has  fully  sustained  the  contention.  While  I  myself 
am  charmed  and  delighted  with  his  book,  and  sometimes 
carried  away  almost  to  the  point  of  agreement  with  him, 
yet,  in  spite  of  my  prepossessions  in  his  favor,  the  pendulum 
swings  back  to  the  old  position  that  Paul  is  writing  to 
Galatians  proper,  and  not  to  a  different  people  artificially 
enclosed  in  the  Roman  province  of  Galatia.  The  silence  in 
Acts  concerning  his  establishing  real  Galatian  churches  is 
no  more  than  its  silence  concerning  much  of  his  work  in 
other  places. 

Now  we  come  to  a  matter  of  history.  How  do  we  ac- 
count for  such  a  multitude  of  Gauls  colonized  in  Asia 
Minor?  There  are  three  words  used  to  describe  these  peo- 
ple: Celts,  Gauls  and  Galatians.  The  Galatians  evidently 
came  from  the  territory  that  we  now  call  France.    Caesar 


4  GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

tells  us  much  of  these  Gauls — a  restless  people,  bent  on 
changes,  migrating  to  broader  fields.  Earlier  Roman  his- 
tory tells  us  that  a  great  wave  of  these  people  crossed  the 
Alps,  swept  over  Italy,  and  under  Brennus  captured  Rome 
itself.  Later  they  passed  into  Greece  and  Macedonia,  and 
a  strong  band,  managing  to  get  shipping,  crossed  the  Bos- 
porus into  Asia  Minor  and  settled  a  strip  of  country  north- 
west of  Tarsus  about  200  miles  wide  and  of  considerable 
length.  They  went  even  farther  and  fought  a  great  battle 
with  the  king  of  the  Syrians,  but  were  defeated.  They  were 
unlike  the  Romans,  the  Phrygians  or  the  Greeks — they  were 
Gauls.  An  Irishman  is  a  Galatian — quick,  passionate,  fickle. 
We  have  in  this  letter  to  deal  with  a  class  of  people  unlike 
any  other  that  the  gospel  has  yet  reached.  It  is  strange  that 
Luther  in  his  commentary  makes  these  Galatians  Teutons, 
or  Germans.  The  letter  shows  when  Paul  first  preached  to 
them  how  impressible  they  were,  subject  to  quick,  deep  emo- 
tion. It  was  easy  to  get  a  foot-hold  among  them,  and  easy 
to  lose  it. 

The  occasion  of  Paul's  preaching  among  them,  as  we 
learn  from  the  letter  itself  and  other  sources,  was  provi- 
dential; that  he  was  taken,  when  trying  to  get  to  another 
point,  with  a  great  sickness — that  thorn  in  the  flesh — so  that 
he  was  unable  to  travel  because  of  his  almost  total  blindness 
and  feebleness,  and  that  his  preaching  to  them  resulted  in 
marvelous  manifestations.  The  account  harmonizes  with 
the  marvels  of  the  recent  great  revival  in  Wales  or  with 
what  has  been  called  "the  sanctified  row"  in  a  Methodist 
camp-meeting.  Nowhere  else  in  Paul's  ministry  was  there 
such  enthusiasm — such  demonstrations  in  receiving  his  mes- 
sage. We  learn  in  Acts  of  two  visits  that  Paul  made  to 
Galatia. 

The  genuineness  of  the  book  has  never  been  questioned. 
Men  who  are  ready  to  deny  the  authenticity  of  other  books 
of  the  Bible  all  agree  that  this  is  genuinely  Pauline.     I  and 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION  6 

II  Corinthians,  Galatians  and  Romans  have  never  been  ques- 
tioned. The  letter  seems  to  be  divided  into  the  following 
outline : 

I.  Introduction,  i :  1-5. 

II.  Historical  narrative,  i :  6  to  the  end  of  chapter  2,  in 
which  he  defends  his  gospel  and  apostolic  authority. 

HI.  The  doctrinal  part  of  the  epistle,  chapters  3  and  4, 
relating  to  justification  by  faith  without  works. 

IV.  Chapters  5  and  6  are  devoted  to  exhortations  based 
on  the  doctrine. 

Let  us  take  up  the  introduction :  "Paul,  an  apostle  (not 
from  men,  neither  through  man,  but  through  Jesus  Christ, 
and  God  the  Father,  who  raised  Him  from  the  dead)." 
Even  in  the  introduction  he  strikes  the  key-note  of  the  letter. 
In  that  parenthesis  of  the  first  sentence  he  marches  square 
up  against  the  opposition,  the  Judaizers  having  contended 
that  he  was  neither  one  of  the  twelve,  nor  commissioned  by 
them.  He  concedes  the  fact,  but  turns  it  in  his  favor.  He 
is  an  apostle,  though  not  of  men,  not  as  Matthias,  who  was 
elected,  but  he  received  his  apostleship  direct  from  the  Lord. 
Usually  Paul  leads  up  to  his  subject  by  gradual  approaches, 
but  here  he  abruptly  leaps  into  the  middle  of  things.  This 
letter  is  like  dropping  a  coal  of  fire  into  a  powder  magazine. 

"I  marvel  that  ye  are  so  quickly  removing  from  him  that 
called  you  in  the  grace  of  Christ  unto  a  different  gospel; 
which  is  not  another  gospel:  only  there  are  some  that  trouble 
you,  and  would  pervert  the  gospel  of  Christ."  At  the  outset 
he  recognizes  that  this  revolt  did  not  originate  with  them. 
It  was  superinduced,  imported.  Nor  did  he  believe  that  it 
was  merely  human  opposition.  It  was  a  matter  of  amaze- 
ment to  him  that  people  who  had  welcomed  him  so  lovingly, 
heard  him  so  tenderly  and  obeyed  him  so  joyously,  should, 
in  such  a  short  time,  be  switched  off  completely  from  the 
true  gospel.    All  through  the  letter  we  see  that  the  wonder 


6  GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ie  in  his  mind,  and  he  evidently  attributes  it  to  some  power 
more  than  human :  "O  foolish  Galatians,  who  did  bewitch 
you,  that  you  should  turn  a  somersault  in  theology  and  doc- 
trine so  quickly  ?" 

He  does  not  mince  words :  "But  though  we,  or  an  angel 
from  Heaven,  should  preach  unto  you  any  gospel  other 
than  that  which  we  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  anathema." 
There  is  but  one  gospel — the  gospel  of  g^ace  through  Jesus 
Christ.  Anything  different  is  not  gospel,  though  an  angel 
brings  it.  It  is  to  be  rejected,  and  the  one  who  brings  it 
should  be  counted  as  accursed  from  God.  Paul  was  a  mild 
man,  exceedingly  courteous  and  patient,  suffering  a  great 
many  personal  indignities,  but  when  one  struck  at  the  gospel 
he  preached  he  was  full  of  indignation  and  fiery  wrath,  be- 
cause he  believed  that  gospel  to  be  the  only  hope  of  the 
lost  world :  "As  we  have  said  before,  so  say  I  now  again,  if 
any  man  preacheth  unto  you  any  gospel  other  than  that 
which  ye  received,  let  him  be  anathema." 

The  skeptic  argues  against  the  N,  T.  because  so  much  of 
it  is  devoted  to  issues  local  and  transitory.  But  this  is  to 
misread  and  misinterpret  human  history.  The  natural  man 
is  ever  ready  to  prefer  works  to  grace.  If  he  cannot  have  a 
salvation  all  of  works,  then  he  insists  on  a  salvation  partly 
of  works  and  partly  of  grace.  He  will  at  any  time  prefer 
rites  and  ceremonies  to  spiritual  things.  In  medieval  time, 
the  dark  ages  preceding  and  necessitating  the  Reformation 
of  the  i6th  century,  all  Europe  under  Roman  Catholicism, 
reverted  to  the  old  covenant  with  its  priesthood,  sacraments, 
types,  burdensome  ritual  and  imposing  customs  and  cere- 
monies, mixed  up  with  compromises  and  borrowings  from 
heathendom  around.  Luther  made  this  letter  the  banner 
of  the  reformation  for  Central  Europe,  and  we  need  it  now 
as  much  as  when  Paul  wrote  it  or  Luther  used  it.  There 
are  hundreds  of  pulpits  today  that  do  not  preach  the  gospel, 
and  even  some  Baptists  are  aping  Rome. 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION  »? 

I  am  reminded  of  the  interview  I  had  with  Sam  Jones 
when  he  came  to  Waco.  He  was  sick  and  I  called  on  him. 
The  first  thing  he  asked  me, 

"What  do  you  think  of  me  ?  What  do  you  think  of  my 
gospel?"  I  said, 

"I  think  you  are  a  thousand  miles  from  the  gospel.  I 
would  suggest  that  when  you  get  back  to  that  big  congre- 
gation you  preach  a  gospel  sermon  for  variety,  just  to  show 
what  a  different  thing  it  is  from  what  you  are  preaching. 
You  are  preaching  pretty  good  morality.  Not  only  are  you 
not  preaching  the  gospel,  but  you  are  creating  a  false  im- 
pression on  the  public  mind,  that  heeding  what  you  preach 
they  will  be  saved."    He  burst  out  laughing  and  said, 

"I  like  you.  You  come  to  hear  me  when  I  get  well  and 
I  will  preach  a  gospel  sermon." 

He  did  preach  a  really  great  gospel  sermon  on  the  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ.  But  he  stopped  at  that.  In  his  next  ser- 
mon he  was  picking  his  teeth  before  the  audience  and  said, 

"Look  here,  the  thing  to  do  is  to  join  the  church  and  then 
get  religion.  Join  the  church  whether  you  have  any  more 
religion  than  a  horse."  Those  were  his  exact  words.  I 
turned  to  Dr.  King,  a  Presbyterian,  and  said, 

"I  think  we  just  as  well  leave."    And  he  said, 

"Yes,  I  think  so."    And  I  did  not  go  back  any  more. 

Paul  felt  just  that  way — that  the  salvation  of  men  was 
a  matter  too  important  to  be  trifled  with,  and  there  was 
only  one  thing  that  could  save  men  and  that  was  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ;  that  the  church  and  ordinances  were  for 
the  saved,  not  for  the  unsaved ;  that  the  gospel  of  Christ  is 
a  distinct  thing  from  the  moral  or  ceremonial  law  of  Moses ; 
that  the  preacher  should  preach  the  gospel  of  salvation, 
grace  and  freedom,  and  to  go  back  to  the  weak  and  beg- 
garly elements  of  the  types  was  to  Paul  a  matter  of  amaze- 
ment. 

He  tells  us  how  he  got  his  gospel :  "For  I  make  known 


8  GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  rillLIPriANS 

to  you,  brethren,  as  touching  the  gospel  which  was  preached 
by  me,  that  it  is  not  after  man."  In  other  words,  "I  did  not 
educate  myself  into  this  gospel  and  did  not  get  my  concep- 
tion of  it  from  any  man  on  earth,  but  by  direct  revelation 
Jesus  Christ  made  known  to  me  what  the  gospel  is."  Some 
men  now  get  their  conceptions  from  reading  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke  and  John.  Paul  did  not;  they  were  not  then 
written.  Some  men  get  their  conceptions  from  hearing 
others  who  had  heard  Christ.  But  the  gospel  facts  were 
communicated  directly  to  Paul,  and  that  is  why  I  insist  on 
saying,  "Five  gospels — Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John  and 
Paul," — and  Paul's  gospel  is  the  most  comprehensive  of  all. 
Note  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  each  gospel :  Mark  com- 
mences with  Christ's  public  ministry  and  stops  at  Christ's 
resurrection.  Matthew  commences  at  Abraham  and  stops 
with  the  resurrection.  Luke  commences  with  Adam  and 
stops  with  Paul  in  the  City  of  Rome.  John  commences  in 
eternity  before  the  world  was  and  stops  with  the  revelation 
of  Paradise  regained.  Paul  commences  where  John  does 
in  eternity  and  goes  beyond  him  to  the  turning  over  of  the 
kingdom  to  the  Father.  Paul  shows  in  Corinthians  how  he 
received  his  knowledge  of  the  Lord's  supper  and  his  gospel: 
"For  I  received  of  the  Lord  that  which  also  I  delivered  unto 
you,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the  night  in  which  He  was  be- 
trayed took  bread ;  and  when  He  had  given  thanks,  He  brake 
it,  and  said.  This  is  my  body,  which  is  for  you :  this  do  in 
remembrance  of  me.  In  like  manner  also  He  took  the  cup, 
after  supper,  saying.  This  cup  is  the  new  covenant  in  my 
blood ;  this  do,  as  often  as  ye  drink  it,  in  remembrance  of 
me"  (I  Cor.  ii : 23-25).  "I  make  known  unto  you,  breth- 
ren, the  gospel  which  I  preached  unto  you,  which  also  ye 
received,  wherein  also  ye  stand,  by  which  also  ye  are  saved, 
if  ye  hold  fast  the  word  which  I  preached  unto  you,  except 
ye  believed  in  vain.  For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of  all 
that  which  also  I  received:  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION  9 

according  to  the  scriptures;  and  that  He  was  buried;  and 
that  He  hath  been  raised  on  the  third  day  according  to  the 
scriptures"  (I  Cor.  15: 1-4).  As  bearing  upon  the  history 
of  Paul,  and  as  bearing  upon  the  nature  of  the  gospel  that 
he  preached,  the  Letter  to  the  Galatians  contains  some  his- 
torical facts  of  incalculable  importance  that  can  be  found 
nowhere  else. 

He  proceeds  in  the  rest  of  the  first  chapter  to  recite  what 
had  been  his  attitude  before  his  conversion ;  that  he  perse- 
cuted the  church;  that  he  had  advanced  beyond  others  in 
the  Jewish  religion,  and  was  exceedingly  zealous  in  the  tra- 
ditions of  the  fathers.  In  other  words,  these  Galatians  were 
going  back  where  Paul  was  before  he  was  converted.  He 
adds  that  his  being  an  apostle  and  in  the  ministry  was  not 
an  afterthought  with  God,  as  some  people  teach.  He  scouts 
any  such  idea.  He  said,  "God  set  me  apart  from  my 
mother's  womb."  He  was  born  about  the  time  Christ  was 
born.  The  mission  of  Paul  was  as  clear  to  omniscience  as 
the  mission  of  Christ.  To  him  all  great  things  root  back  in 
eternity — in  the  divine  purpose,  in  election,  in  predestina- 
tion, in  fore-ordination.  He  could  not  conceive  of  God  as 
being  surprised  by  some  new  set  of  events  that  had  acci- 
dentally come  to  the  front,  necessitating  a  new  adjustment 
to  fit  these  unexpected  events.  "And  called  me  through 
His  grace,  to  reveal  His  Son  in  me,  that  I  might  preach  Him 
among  the  Gentiles."  Notice  the  connection  of  the  thought  • 
"I  was  set  apart  from  my  mother's  womb.  When  I  got  to 
be  a  man  He  revealed  His  Son  to  me,  that  is,  in  my  con- 
version, and  called  me  to  preach  to  certain  people." 

He  combats  one  of  their  objections  that  his  information 
was  second-hand:  "Straightway  I  conferred  not  with  flesh 
and  blood;  neither  went  I  up  to  Jerusalem  to  them  that 
were  apostles  before  me;  but  I  went  away  into  Arabia ;  and 
again  I  returned  into  Damascus."  There  is  a  seeming  con- 
flict between  Luke's  "Straightway  he  preached  in  Damas- 


10        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

cus,"  Acts  9:20,  and  Paul's  "Straightway"  in  Gal.  1:15. 
He  did  commence  to  preach  in  Damascus,  but  he  did  not 
confer  with  any  one,  nor  go  up  to  Jerusalem  to  know  if  the 
men  there  would  approve  of  what  had  been  done,  but  he 
says,  "I  went  away  into  Arabia,"  that  is,  he  went  to  Mt. 
Sinai,  and  there,  on  the  scene  of  the  giving  of  the  law,  which 
these  Jews  are  trying  to  persuade  the  Galatians  is  the  way 
of  salvation,  he  received  his  gospel  and  studied  out  the 
great  problems  of  the  meaning  of  the  Sinaitic  covenant  and 
its  contrast  with  the  new  covenant  which  he  discusses  in 
this  letter  in  a  way  that  we  find  nowhere  else  in  the  Bible. 
The  Galatian  churches  were  going  back  to  Mt.  Sinai  to 
be  circumcised,  to  keep  the  whole  law  as  a  way  of  life,  to 
put  themselves  in  bondage  to  a  yoke  that  their  fathers  were 
not  able  to  bear — agoing  back  to  a  covenant  that  gendered 
bondage  and  ended  in  death.  He  is  compelled  to  say,  "I 
went  away  into  Arabia."  In  other  words,  "God  sent  me 
there  before  He  sent  me  to  preach,  that  I  should  under- 
stand the  difference  between  the  law  and  the  gospel ;  that  I 
should,  on  the  scene  of  the  giving  of  the  law,  comprehend 
the  purposes  of  that  law." 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  books  constitute  the  first  group  of  Paul's  letters,  and 
what  books  the  second? 

2.  What  three  books  on  Galatians  commended? 

3.  What  the  date  of  his  letter? 

4.  Where  written? 

5.  What  relation   does  this  letter  bear  to   the   Letter  to   the 
Romans?    Give  two  examples  of  such  relation. 

6.  What  was  the  occasion  of  this  letter? 

7.  Where  was  Galatia,  what  do  we  know  from  Acts  about  its 
people,  and  what  churches  were  in  Galatia? 

8.  What  is  Dr.  Ramsay's  contention,  and  what  your  reply? 

9.  Who  were  the  Galatians,  and  what  their  characteristics? 

10.  Give  an  account  of  their  migration  into  Asia  Minor. 

11.  What  was  the  occasion  of  Paul's  preaching  to  them,  and  what 
the  results? 

12.  Locate  in  Acts  the  account  of  two  visits  that  Paul  made  to 
Galatia. 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION  11 

13.  What  of  the  genuineness  of  the  book? 

14.  Give  a  brief  outline  of  the  book. 

15.  What  charge  against  him  may  be  inferred  from  his  introduc- 
tion, and  how  does  he  reply  to  it? 

16.  How  did  Paul  regard  his  gospel? 

17.  What  is  the  importance  of  this  letter,  and  what  the  author's 
illustration? 

18.  What  is  the  fifth  gospel,  and  how  does  it  compare  with  the 
other  four  as  to  their  beginning  and  end? 

19.  What  was  Paul's  attitude  before  his  conversion,  and  what 
great  doctrine  does  he  make  the  basis  of  his  conversion  and  call  into 
file  ministry? 

20.  How  does  Paul  answer  their  charge  that  his  gospel  was  sec- 
ond-hand? 

21.  Where  in  Acts  may  we  insert  the  history  in  Gal.  i:i6,  17? 

22.  Why  did  Paul  go  into  Arabia  before  he  commenced  to 
preach,  how  long  there,  and  what  the  bearing  of  these  facts  on 
Christianity?    (See  author's  sermon  on,  "But  I  Went  into  Arabia.)" 


II 

PAUL'S  VISIT  TO  JERUSALEM 
Scriptures:   Gal.  i :  i8 — 2  :  21 

THIS  discussion  commenced  at  Galatians  i :  18  and 
extends  through  chapter  2,  completing  the  historical 
part  of  the  letter.  It  is  evident  that  there  is  a  rela- 
tion between  Paul's  visits  to  Jerusalem,  the  headquarters  of 
the  apostles,  and  his  independent  authority  as  an  apostle  and 
his  special  gospel.  There  is  a  special  value  of  this  Letter 
to  the  Galatians  in  that  it  gives  definite  information  con- 
cerning matters  more  briefly  and  more  generally  given  in 
Acts,  which  certainly  saves  us  from  erroneous  inferences 
that  would  necessarily  be  deduced  from  the  account  in  Acts 
alone.  This  is  most  evident  in  the  history  of  Paul's  visits 
to  Jerusalem  after  his  conversion,  and  the  intervals  between 
the  visits.  Five  of  these  visits  are  recorded  in  Acts,  as 
follows:  First  visit — Acts  9:26-30  and  22:17-21;  second 
visit — Acts  1 1 :  27-30  and  12 :  25  ;  third  visit — Acts  15  : 1-30 ; 
fourth  visit — Acts  18:22  (this  one  we  would  not  know  if 
we  did  not  look  closely  at  the  Greek)  ;  fifth  visit — ^Acts 
21:15—23:25. 

These  are  the  five  visits,  so  far  as  Acts  records  them,  of 
Paul  to  Jerusalem  after  his  conversion.  I  raise  two  addi- 
tional questions :  ( i )  What  visits  had  he  made  to  Jerusa- 
lem before  his  conversion?  And  (2)  did  he  ever  visit  Jeru- 
salem after  the  history  in  Acts  closes?  The  answer  to 
which  is  that  while  he  lived  at  Tarsus  he  received  his  theo- 
logical education  at  Jerusalem ;  that  was  doubtless  his  first 
visit,  at  least  it  is  the  first  of  which  we  have  any  account. 
But  as  he  did  not  know  Christ  personally,  he  evidently  was 

13 


14.        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

not  in  Jerusalem  during  the  life-time  of  Christ;  therefore 
he  must  have  gone  back  to  Tarsus.  But  we  do  find  him 
again  in  Jerusalem  a  Rabbi  of  the  Cilician  synagogue,  an 
opponent  of  Stephen  and  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and 
the  object  of  his  second  visit  was  to  become  a  member  of 
the  Sanhedrin,  but  that  is  all  before  his  conversion. 

After  the  history  in  the  book  of  Acts  closes  we  have  no 
means  of  knowing  that  Paul  ever  visited  Jerusalem.  In- 
deed, we  have  only  scraps  of  information  concerning  what 
he  did  after  the  first  imprisonment  at  Rome.  We  gather 
some  information  from  the  Letters  to  Timothy  and  Titus. 
Whether  that  included  another  visit  to  Jerusalem  we  do  not 
know. 

What  is  the  relation  of  his  visit  to  Jerusalem  to  his  special 
and  independent  gospel  and  his  independent  apostolic  au- 
thority? The  Roman  Catholics  teach  that  Peter  was  the 
first  pope,  and  that  all  authority  was  derived  from  Peter; 
therefore  if  their  position  be  correct,  Paul  must  have  de- 
rived his  authority  from  Peter.  This  Letter  to  the  Gala- 
tians  grinds  to  fine  powder  the  whole  Roman  Catholic  theory 
of  the  pope,  and  hence  it  was  one  of  the  books  of  the  N.  T. 
that  was  so  tremendously  read  in  the  Reformation. 

Of  the  first  and  third  of  these  visits  to  Jerusalem,  re- 
corded by  Luke  in  Acts,  we  find  parallel  accounts  in  this 
Letter  to  the  Galatians.  There  was  no  occasion  in  this 
letter  to  refer  to  the  second  visit  to  Jerusalem,  for  at  that 
time  he  simply  went  up  to  carry  some  alms  to  Jerusalem, 
and  had  no  opportunity  to  have  any  conversation  with  the 
apostles.  The  persecution  was  raging;  James  was  killed 
and  Peter  was  in  prison,  and  as  soon  as  Peter  got  out  he 
left;  so,  that  visit  to  Jerusalem  is  not  germane  to  our  dis- 
cussion, but  the  third  visit  is.  The  fourth  and  fifth  visits 
to  Jenisalem  cannot  touch  this  letter  because  they  took  place 
after  this  letter  was  written ;  so  that  the  thing  that  we  are 
to  study  in  this  chapter  is  the  bearing  of  these  two  visits 


PAUL'S  VISIT  TO  JERUSALEM  16 

upon  Paul's  independent,  apostolic  authority  and  his  inde- 
pendent gospel,  viz. :  The  first  visit,  as  recorded  in  Acts  9 
and  the  parallel  account  in  Galatians  i,  and  the  third  visit, 
as  recorded  in  Acts  15  and  paralleled  by  Galatians  2. 

We  may  best  get  at  the  additional  and  more  definite  in- 
formation in  this  letter  by  comparing  the  two  accounts  thus : 

First,  by  reading  Acts  9: 17-19,  then  Gal.  i :  15-17,  then 
Acts  9:20-25,  then  Gal.  1:18  (except  last  clause),  then 
Acts  9 :  26,  27,  then  Gal.  i :  18  (last  clause)  to  20,  then  Acts 
9:28,  29  (except  last  clause),  then  Acts  22:17-21,  then 
Acts  9:29  (last  clause)  to  31,  and  then  Gal.  i :  21-24  (Fo^ 
an  arrangement  of  these  passages  in  parallel  columns  see 
"Interpretation  of  Acts,"  chapter  18). 

The  following  are  the  new  and  more  definite  particulars 
that  we  gather  from  inserting  the  Galatian  passage  that 
way:  First,  we  learn  from  Galatians  the  time  interval, 
three  years,  between  his  conversion  and  his  first  visit  to 
Jerusalem.  That  three  years  after  he  was  converted  had 
passed  before  he  ever  saw  Jerusalem  or  any  of  the  twelve 
apostles.  Second,  we  learn  what  he  did  in  this  interval  of 
three  years  and  what  he  did  not :  ( i )  That  his  call  to  the 
apostleship  was  not  only  directly  from  the  Lord  himself, 
but  his  acceptance  of  it  and  obedience  to  it  was  instant, 
without  conferring  with  flesh  and  blood.  His  call  was  not 
at  Jerusalem  but  at  Damascus,  not  through  Peter,  but 
through  Christ  directly ;  Christ  did  not  tell  him  to  go  to 
Peter,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  selected  the  special  man,  Ananias, 
and  sent  him  to  him.  (2)  That,  as  his  call  to  the  apostle- 
ship was  not  dependent  on  the  ratification  of  the  twelve,  he 
was  set  apart  from  his  mother's  womb.  (3)  That  his  apos- 
tolic call  had  its  emphasis  in  a  different  direction  from  the 
emphasis  of  the  call  of  the  twelve  apostles,  their  mission 
being  to  preach  to  the  Jews  primarily,  and  his  being  to 
preach  primarily  to  the  Gentiles.  (4)  That  instead  of 
having  been  instructed  in  the  gospel  by  the  original  twelve. 


16        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

he  went,  not  to  Jerusalem,  but  to  Arabia  to  receive  his 
gospel  from  the  Lord  himself  by  direct  revelation,  (5) 
That  instead  of  waiting  to  act  on  his  call  to  preach  until 
the  twelve  refused  it  or  authorized  it,  he  commenced  his 
preaching  at  Damascus  and  not  at  Jerusalem.  (6)  That 
he  had  been  exercising  his  apostolic  call  and  receiving  reve- 
lations and  preaching  for  three  years  before  he  was  ever 
seen  by  any  of  the  original  twelve.  (7)  That  when  he  did 
go  to  Jerusalem  he  saw  only  one  of  the  apostles — Peter — 
but  he  saw  James,  the  brother  of  our  Lord,  who  was  not  an 
apostle.  So  we  must  infer  that  at  the  time  of  his  visit  the 
other  eleven  apostles  were  out  on  the  field.  He  saw  but 
one,  and  he  was  there  only  fifteen  days,  and  while  there 
that  fifteen  days  Jesus  in  a  vision  in  the  temple  peremptorily 
ordered  him  to  leave  them,  to  go  to  the  Gentile  work.  See 
how  these  points  are  brought  out  and  urged  by  the  Judaizing 
Christians,  inasmuch  as  he  was  not  one  of  the  twelve,  and 
not  commissioned  by  the  twelve,  therefore  he  was  not  a 
true  apostle.  He  is  explaining  all  this  in  his  defense. 
(8)  That  for  nine  years  after  leaving  Jerusalem,  while  he 
was  preaching  and  establishing  churches  in  Syria  and  Cilicia, 
they  did  not  see  his  face.  It  was  during  this  Cilician  period 
that  he  received  the  revelation  recorded  in  H  Cor.  13.  So 
that  not  a  shred  of  his  authority  as  an  apostle,  not  a  word 
of  his  gospel,  is  derived  from  the  original  twelve  or  from 
any  other  man.  Galatians  says  nothing  about  the  fact,  but 
I  will  interpolate,  that  from  Antioch  he  and  Barnabas  went 
to  the  heathen  on  their  first  missionary  tour,  not  under 
Jerusalem  direction,  but  under  specific  and  direct  authority 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  object  of  Paul's  second  visit  to  Jerusalem,  after  he 
had  finished  his  Cilician  tour,  was  simply  to  carry  alms  to 
the  poor  saints  in  Jerusalem,  because  of  a  revelation  of  a 
famine  through  a  prophet.  There  could  have  been  no  con- 
versation with  the  apostles  from  the  fact  that  the  persecu- 


PAUL'S  VISIT  TO  JERUSALEM  17 

tion  by  Herod  was  raging,  in  which  James  was  killed,  and 
when  Peter  got  out  of  prison  he  immediately  left.  There 
is  another  matter  stated  in  Acts,  though  Galatians  does  not 
refer  to  it.  We  find  in  Acts  13  and  14  that  when  he  did  go 
out  as  a  foreign  missionary  he  did  not  go  under  any  author- 
ity conferred  by  the  twelve  apostles,  but  that  he  and  Bar- 
nabas were  sent  out  particularly  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
that  this  first  missionary  tour  that  we  find  recorded  was 
under  special,  direct  orders  from  God  and  not  from  man. 
In  order  to  get  at  the  account  of  his  third  visit  to  Jeru- 
salem we  have  to  carefully  read  nearly  all  of  Acts  15  and 
every  bit  of  Gal.  2.  The  object  of  this  visit  was  (i)  to 
find  out  how  these  Judaizing  Christians  were  supported, 
(2)  to  carry  out  this  divine  injunction.  (He  says  in  the 
Letter  to  the  Galatians  that  when  he  made  those  three  visits 
to  Jerusalem  he  did  not  go  because  he  was  summoned,  but 
by  special  revelation,  showing  that  he  was  still  under  divine 
guidance.)  (3)  To  show  that  the  initiative  was  not  taken 
by  the  Jerusalem  church,  but  by  the  church  at  Antioch. 
Certain  Judaizing  Christians  had  a  gospel  similar  to  that  of 
those  who  had  come  to  Antioch  and  taught  that  they  could 
not  be  saved  without  becoming  Jews — that  they  would  have 
to  be  circumcised  or  faith  would  not  save  them  at  all.  Paul 
and  Barnabas  squarely  met  them,  but  inasmuch  as  the  dis- 
turbance had  come  on  the  ground  of  comity,  they  carried 
the  question  to  the  church  where  it  originated.  Just  as  one 
would  do  if  he  were  the  pastor  of  the  Broadway  Church  in 
Fort  Worth,  and  some  of  the  people  of  Dallas  were  to  come 
and  raise  a  row  in  the  church — a  row  that  involved  his  min- 
isterial authority — then  he  ought  to  refer  this  to  those  Dallas 
people,  saying,  "Do  you  send  these  men  here,  or  do  they 
come  by  your  authority  ?"  So  we  see  that  in  that  third  visit 
to  Jerusalem  he  went  with  a  definite  object  in  view,  not  in 
order  that  he  might  be  made  an  apostle,  but  in  order  to  settle 
a  great  question  of  salvation,  and  that  very  question  was 


18        GALATIANS.  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

being  agitated  in  the  Galatian  church  then,  that  is,  the  ne- 
cessity of  being  a  Jew  in  order  to  be  saved. 

Galatians  says  that  Paul  went  to  that  meeting  to  take  a 
test  case,  and  the  test  case  was  Titus.  Titus  was  converted, 
had  been  baptized  and  received  into  the  church,  and  he  de- 
termined to  take  Titus  up  there  and  say,  "Now  do  you 
demand  that  Titus  shall  be  circumcised  in  order  to  be 
saved  ?"  Then  he  went  up  as  he  said,  by  revelation,  to  have 
the  matter  settled  forever  as  to  whether  he  was  an  apostle 
to  the  Gentiles  or  not.  So  we  learn  in  Galatians  that  when 
he  got  there  and  sprung  that  question  upon  Titus,  though 
Titus  was  not  circumcised,  they  lost  the  case.  Then  we 
learn  from  Galatians  that  before  the  church  met  in  confer- 
ence Paul  had  met  the  elders  and  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
James,  and  sprung  this  question  on  them,  "Do  you  acknowl- 
edge that  this  authority  that  I  have  to  go  to  the  heathen  is 
from  God,  just  as  your  authority  to  go  to  the  circumcision 
is  from  God?"  And  he  said  that  they  conceded  and  gave 
him  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  he  and  Barnabas  only. 
This  is  a  very  important  matter  that  we  learn  from  chapter 
2,  but  that  isn't  all  that  we  learn.  He  says  that  from  them 
he  received  nothing;  that  they  conceded  that  he  was  not 
behind  them  in  anything;  that  the  pillars  of  the  church  at 
Jerusalem — the  apostles  and  the  pastor — acknowledged  that 
they  conferred  nothing  on  him,  and  that  he  was  their  equal. 
He  did  not  get  his  gospel  from  them,  but  this  is  not  the 
cream  of  the  case.  He  adds  something  that  we  do  not  find 
anywhere  else.  The  Holy  Spirit  and  the  apostles  and  the 
church  at  Jerusalem  united  in  the  decision,  embodied  it  in 
writing  upon  all  of  these  points,  and  sent  it  to  the  churches 
where  these  questions  were  likely  to  come  up. 

We  come  now  to  a  most  startling  fact.  After  this  hap- 
pened Peter  made  a  visit  to  Antioch,  and  when  he  first  got 
there  he  did  as  he  did  in  the  case  of  Cornelius — took  a  meal 
with  the  Gentiles.    Here  come  some  people  from  Jerusalem, 


PAUL'S  VISIT  TO  JERUSALEM  19 

and  while  they  admit  that  a  man  did  not  have  to  become  a 
Jew  to  be  a  Christian,  yet  they  contend  that  they  must  not 
violate  the  old  law  about  eating  with  the  Gentiles.  We 
learn  from  Galatians  that  it  shook  Peter,  and  we  have 
already  learned  that  Peter  was  easily  shaken,  and  that  it 
shook  Barnabas  also.  In  this  new  question  we  learn  that 
Paul  alone  stood  up  and  contended  to  Peter's  face  and  re- 
buked him.  What  a  position  for  a  pope !  He  told  him  that 
he  was  tearing  down  what  he  had  already  established ;  that 
what  God  at  Joppa  had  shown  him  that  He  had  cleansed, 
man  should  not  call  unclean.  But  Peter  was  dissimulating 
and  holding  back  because  certain  of  these  Judaizing  teachers 
from  Jerusalem  came  up  there  and  insisted  that  this  business 
must  stop. 

What  would  have  been  the  effect  if  Paul  had  not  taken 
the  stand  he  did?  Christianity  would  have  been  a  mere 
sect;  it  would  have  lost  its  individuality;  its  wings  would 
have  been  clipped;  it  could  neither  fly  nor  soar;  it  could 
only  crawl,  and  it  would  have  perished  at  Jerusalem  but 
for  that  fight  that  Paul  made.  What  would  we  think  if 
the  "upper  tens"  of  our  church  would  say,  "I  am  willing  to 
welcome  these  poor  people  to  the  church,  but  don't  expect 
me  to  go  to  see  them.  We  can't  do  that?"  I  have  always 
contended  that  but  for  Paul's  going  away  into  Arabia  and 
receiving  his  gospel  direct  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in- 
stead of  having  it  handed  down  to  him  by  somebody  else, 
and  the  stand  that  he  took  when  this  great  controversy 
threatened  to  rend  Christianity  of  that  day  in  its  struggling 
childhood,  we  Gentiles  would  have  had  no  gospel,  and  vwhat 
the  Jews  would  have  had  would  not  have  been  wor£h  any- 
thing. It  was  a  question  of  life  and  death.  The  very  es- 
sence of  the  gospel  was  involved.  It  was  as  if  they  pro- 
posed to  take  the  key-stone  out  of  the  arch,  or  the  founda- 
tion from  under  the  building. 

There  are  some  incidental  questions  on  chapters  i  and  2 


«0        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

that  we  had  better  look  at  a  httle.  Paul  said  that  when  he 
went  to  Jerusalem  that  first  time,  he  saw  James,  our  Lord's 
brother.  Here  come  up  some  theories.  The  extreme  theory 
held  by  the  Catholic  church,  the  middle  theory  held  by  the 
church  of  England  and  the  other  theory  held  by  Baptists, 
viz. :  What  is  meant  by  calling  these  the  Lord's  brothers 
and  sisters?  The  Catholics  say  that  they  were  only  His 
cousins ;  that  Mary  never  bore  but  one  child ;  that  she  was 
born  a  virgin,  so  she  remained  a  virgin,  and  they  claim  that 
her  body  was  taken  up  to  heaven  as  was  the  body  of  Elijah 
— "the  Assumption  of  the  Virgin" — and  that  she  was  im- 
maculately conceived,  as  Christ  was  conceived.  That  is 
what  they  call  the  doctrine  of  "the  Immaculate  Conception." 
The  second  theory  is  that  they  were  children  of  Joseph  by 
a  former  marriage.  But  there  is  not  a  hint  of  such  a  mar- 
riage in  the  Bible.  The  third  theory  is  that  they  were  chil- 
dren of  Joseph  and  Mary,  the  mother  of  our  Lord.  People, 
who,  for  sentimental  reasons,  believe  that  Mary  had  not  a 
lot  of  children  after  Christ,  who  believe  that  they  were  not 
Mary's  children,  evolve  that  thing  out  of  their  own  con- 
sciousness. The  fact  is  that  James  and  Jude  who  wrote 
books  of  the  New  Testament,  and  some  sisters  were  actually 
half-brothers  and  sisters  of  our  Lord,  and  the  children  of 
Joseph  and  Mary.  They  were  half-brothers  of  Jesus  be- 
cause they  had  the  same  mother,  but  their  father  was  not 
His;  God  was  His  father. 

Another  thing  Paul  says  is  that  those  churches  in  Judea 
from  whom  it  was  alleged  that  he  derived  his  authority  and 
his  gospel,  did  not  even  know  his  name,  but  they  held  him 
in  respect  and  glorified  God  in  him.  I  took  that  as  my  text 
when  I  was  appointed  to  preach  the  annual  sermon  before 
the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  in  Chicago— 
"They  glorified  God  in  Paul" — showing  that  the  workman 
is  known  by  his  works.  They  said  there  was  a  mighty  revo- 
lution in  this  Saul  of  Tarsus;  that  somebody  did  it,  and 


PAUL'S  VISIT  TO  JERUSALEM  «! 

glory  to  the  One  that  did  it.  Somebody  made  him  the 
mightiest  power  as  an  evangehcal  force  that  earth  has  ever 
known.  Who  did  it  ?  God.  So  they  glorified  God  in  Paul, 
and  brethren  will  glorify  God  in  us  as  our  lives  are  pure  and 
as  our  work  is  faithful,  but  if  we  live  in  sin  as  any  other 
sinner,  and  if  we  preach  something  that  God  did  not  give 
us  to  preach,  if  conviction  and  conversion  do  not  follow  our 
ministry,  if  our  preaching  does  not  stir  up  others,  then  I 
am  sure  that  people  will  never  attempt  to  glorify  God  in  us. 
They  will  find  nothing  to  glorify. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  special  value  of  this  Letter  to  the  Galatians? 

2.  In  what  particular  is  this  most  evident? 

3.  How  many  and  what  visits  of  Paul  to  Jerusalem  recorded  in 
Acts,  and  what  the  scripture  for  each? 

4.  What  visits  had  he  made  to  Jerusalem  before  his  conversion, 
and  what  the  proof? 

5.  Did  Paul  ever  visit  Jerusalem  after  the  history  in  the  book 
of  Acts  closes  ? 

6.  What  is  the  relation  of  his  visit  to  Jerusalem  to  his  special 
and  independent  gospel  and  his  independent  apostolic  authority? 

7.  To  which  of  these  visits  recorded  in  Acts  do  we  find  parallel 
accounts  in  Galatians,  and  why  are  not  the  other  visits  to  Jerusalem 
referred  to  in  Galatians? 

8.  Where  in  Acts  are  the  sections  corresponding  to  the  two 
visits  to  Jerusalem  recorded  in  Galatians? 

9.  How  may  we  best  get  at  the  additional  and  more  definite  in- 
formation in  this  letter? 

10.  What  are  these  new  and  more  definite  particulars  that  we 
gather  from  inserting  the  Galatian  passages  in  the  Acts  passages? 

11.  What  was  the  object  of  Paul's  second  visit  to  Jerusalem,  and 
what  opportunity  did  this  visit  afford  for  conversation  with  the 
twelve  apostles,  and  why? 

12.  What  matter  stated  in  Acts  brought  in  here  by  the  author? 

13.  What  the  object  of  Paul's  third  visit  to  Jerusalem,  what  the 
case  at  Antioch,  and  what  two  important  matters  were  settled 
authoritatively  on  this  visit? 

14.  What  social  question  sprang  up  at  Antioch  soon  after  this, 
what  its  history,  how  settled,  and  what  if  Paul  had  not  taken  the 
stand  that  he  did? 

15.  What  the  bearing  of  Paul's  independent  gospel  and  apostle- 
ship,  together  with  Gal.  i :  12 — 2 :  14  on  the  alleged  primacy  and 
supremacy  of  Peter? 

16.  What  the  three  theories  of  our  Lord's  relation  to  James,  and 
which  is  the  true  one? 

17.  What  did  Paul  here  say  of  the  churches  in  Judea,  and  how 
may  the  people  glorify  God  in  the  preacher? 


Ill 

JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  BEFORE  GOD 
Scripture:  Gal.  3:1-14 

WE  commence  this  chapter  with  a  great  question,  not 
how  shall  a  man  as  originally  created  in  righteous- 
ness, knowledge  and  true  holiness  be  justified  be- 
fore God,  but  how  shall  a  fallen,  depraved,  sinful  and  con- 
demned man  be  made  just  before  God?  This  is  the  great 
question  that  Paul  discusses.  While  this  question  is  treated 
fragmentarily  in  many  passages  of  both  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  it  is  discussed  elaborately  and  logically  in  only 
two  books — Galatians  and  Romans — the  latter  speedily  fol- 
lowing the  former.  So  far  as  Galatians  is  concerned,  the 
argument  is  confined  to  chapters  3,  4  and  5,  and  as  the  argu- 
ment is  continuous  without  a  break,  it  is  a  pity  to  have  it 
broken  up  into  chapter  divisions.  These  discussions  will 
disregard  the  chapter  divisions  and  follow  the  one  line  of 
thought  straight  through,  classifying  and  numbering  the  sev- 
eral points  as  they  are  logically  developed  in  the  progress 
of  the  argument. 

So  far  in  this  book,  i.e.,  in  chapters  i  and  2,  we  have  con- 
sidered the  author  of  the  letter  in  his  apostolic  call  and 
qualifications,  and  his  independent  gospel  received  by  direct 
revelation.  But  now  we  turn  to  his  discussion  of  the  great 
question  as  stated  above.  The  intent  of  the  argument  is  to 
convict  the  Galatians  of  their  folly  and  sin  in  leaving  the 
gospel  they  had  received  and  relapsing  into  Judaism,  if 
Jews,  or  turning  to  Judaism  for  salvation  if  Gentiles.  How- 
ever, in  making  his  argument,  Paul  employs  many  striking 
antitheses,  or  contrasts.    A  mere  glance  through  the  three 


24.        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

chapters  enables  one  to  note  the  more  important  of  these 
striking  antitheses,  and  as  the  power  of  the  argument  lies 
most  in  his  way  of  putting  these  contrasts,  we  should  care- 
fully consider  each  one  as  it  comes  up  in  the  progress  of 
the  discussion  proper  or  the  exhortation  based  thereon. 
These  antitheses  are  as  follows: 

1.  The  works  of  the  law  versus  the  hearing  of  faith. 

2.  The  Spirit,  or  its  fruit,  versus  the  flesh,  or  its  fruits. 
In  the  fifth  chapter,  putting  things  in  contrast,  he  says, 
*'The  works  of  the  flesh  are  manifest,  etc.  *  *  *  But 
the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love."  He  tells  what  they  are, 
just  as  if  he  had  put  two  trees  before  us.  A  tree  is  to  be 
known  by  its  fruits.  One  tree  bears  blasphemy,  lust,  ha- 
tred, malice  and  strife.  This  is  the  tree  of  the  flesh,  and 
is  a  bad  tree  because  its  fruits  are  bad.  The  other  tree 
bears  joy,  love,  peace,  etc.  I  say  his  favorite  method  in  this 
letter  is  to  argue  by  antitheses,  putting  one  thing  over 
against  another.  To  form  an  antithesis  is  to  take  two 
theses  and  show  how  they  are  diametrically  opposite.  "An- 
tithesis" is  one  thesis  against  another  thesis.  The  first  one, 
as  we  have  said,  is  the  works  of  the  law  versus  the  hearing 
of  faith.  The  second  is  the  Spirit,  or  its  fruit,  versus  the 
flesh,  or  its  fruit.  The  third  is  the  curse  of  the  law  versus 
the  redemption  of  Christ.  The  fourth  is  the  law  versus 
the  promises.  Salvation  does  not  come  by  law;  it  comes 
from  the  Spirit.  The  fifth  is  the  covenant  with  Abraham 
versus  the  law-covenant  with  Moses.  If  in  any  place  in 
the  world  these  covenants  are  held  up  in  contrast,  we  find 
it  in  this  letter.  He  says  the  covenant  with  Abraham  was 
430  years  before  the  law,  and  that  it  was  a  covenant  that 
God  made  and  ratified.  It  could  not  be  disannulled  by  the 
covenant  made  for  another  purpose  430  years  later.  Sixth, 
this  antithesis,  which  appears  more  evident  in  the  Greek,  is 
— The  child  (pais)  led  by  a  slave,  and  under  tutors  versus 
the  son  (huios)  come  to  freedom  and  inheritance.    Or  to 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  25 

put  it  in  another  form,  the  bondage  of  tutelage  versus  the 
freedom  of  the  adoption  of  sons  after  one  comes  into  his 
inheritance.  Seventh,  Mt.  Sinai  versus  Jerusalem,  the  alle- 
gory of  the  slave-woman  who  is  a  mere  concubine,  and 
bears  children  unto  bondage.  The  slave-woman  bearing 
children  unto  bondage  versus  the  free  woman  or  lawful 
wife  bearing  children  unto  freedom,  is  this  antithesis. 
Eighth,  born  after  the  flesh  versus  born  after  the  Spirit. 
Paul  says  that  he  that  was  born  after  the  flesh  was  Ishmael ; 
that  Isaac  was  the  one  that  was  born  supernaturally,  or 
according  to  promise.  Ninth,  the  circumcision  of  the  flesh 
versus  regeneration,  or  circumcision  of  the  heart  (for  the 
expansion  of  this  thought  see  Romans  2:28,  29).  Tenth, 
the  Jew,  or  one  nation  circumcising  males  only,  versus  the 
fact  that  in  Christ  there  is  neither  Jew  nor  Gentile,  neither 
bond  nor  free,  neither  male  nor  female;  all  are  baptized 
unto  Christ.  The  woman  is  initiated,  we  may  say,  through 
baptism  as  well  as  the  man,  but  the  woman  was  counted 
but  little  under  the  Mosaic  covenant,  as  there  only  the  male 
children  received  the  sign  of  the  covenant.  So  we  see  that 
the  force  of  this  argument  lies  in  the  way  of  putting  these 
contrasts.    We  do  well  to  study  these  antitheses. 

Since  this  section  deals  with  such  a  great  subject  and  is 
so  greatly  discussed,  we  will  take  it  verse  by  verse.  The 
first  point  that  he  makes  is  that  it  was  not  only  folly  in 
them  before  whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  was  openly  set  forth 
crucified,  i.e.,  for  a  man  that  had  believed  in  the  crucified 
Christ  in  order  to  salvation,  to  turn  away  from  salvation  by 
faith  to  the  works  of  the  law,  but  it  was  folly  superinduced 
by  some  evil  superhuman  means:  "Oh,  foolish  Galatians 
[there  is  the  folly],  who  hath  bewitched  you?"  That  is,, 
"you  are  not  acting  honestly;  you  could  not  be  guilty  of 
such  folly  as  this  if  there  was  not  exercising  on  you  some 
evil  influence  that  impelled  you  to  go  wrong."  The  thought 
would  have  been  the  same  if  he  had  said,  "O,  foolish  Gala- 


86        GALATIANS,  ROJMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

tians,  who  did  bewitch  you,  to  turn  you  away  from  Christ 
to  the  Mosaic  law  ?"  It  was  the  hallucination  of  the  devil, 
no  matter  who  the  human  instrument  was.  There  was  a 
Jew  from  Jerusalem  that  did  it. 

His  next  argument  is,  that  the  Spirit  that  they  received 
when  they  were  converted  came  by  the  hearing  of  faith,  and 
not  by  the  works  of  the  law.  See  how  he  says  it :  "This 
only  would  I  learn  from  you :  received  ye  the  Spirit  by  the 
works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing  of  faith?"  This  is  an 
appeal  to  their  past  experience,  as  if  to  say,  "Let  us  go  back 
to  the  time  you  were  converted,  and  you  received  the  Spirit, 
the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  Spirit  shining  into  your 
hearts  to  lead  you  to  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  the  greatest  thing.  The  question  is,  Did  that  come  to 
you  by  conformity  to  the  Mosaic  law,  or  did  you  hear  the 
preaching  of  Christ  crucified  and  believe?  Did  it  come  by 
faith?"  This  is  a  pretty  searching  question,  going  back  to 
their  conversion. 

Notice  the  next  point,  "Are  ye  so  foolish  ?  Having  begun 
in  the  Spirit,  are  ye  now  perfected  in  the  flesh  ?"  In  other 
words,  "How  did  your  religious  life  start?  It  started  in 
the  Spirit.  Now  do  you  want  to  perfect  what  was  started 
in  the  Spirit  by  going  back  to  the  flesh?"  Just  as  the 
hearing  of  faith  stands  opposite  to  the  law,  so  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  stands  opposite  to  the  works  of  the  flesh.  If  we 
start  in  one  principle,  perfection  comes  by  following  up  that 
principle.  The  teaching  is  that  he  who  hath  begun  a  good 
work  in  us,  will  perfect  it  unto  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ, 
The  next  point  is,  "Did  ye  suffer  so  many  things  in  vain, 
if  it  be  indeed  in  vain?"  In  other  words,  "It  is  for  the  coa 
sideration  of  righteousness  through  faith  that  ye  were  per- 
secuted, and  because  you,  by  the  hearing  of  faith,  received 
Jesus  as  your  Savior,  and  the  Spirit  as  your  guide,  you  had 
to  suffer  a  great  many  things.  If  you  turn  to  another  sys- 
tem, then  the  value  of  that  suffering  is  all  passed  away." 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  9,1 

Here  is  a  nice  little  question  of  interpretation,  "Did  ye  suffer 
so  many  things  in  vain?  If  it  be  indeed  in  vain."  What 
does  it  mean  by  saying,  "If  it  be  indeed  in  vain?"  There 
are  two  interpretations,  one  of  which  assumes  that  they 
started  right  which  he  had  hope  to  believe;  then  the  suf- 
fering that  characterized  that  start  would  not  be  in  vain; 
though  they  might  temporarily  be  turned  aside,  they  would 
come  back.  But  there  is  another  interpretation  which  is 
probably  the  right  one,  viz. :  this  suffering  that  they  received 
would  not  be  in  vain  from  a  Christian  standpoint.  If  they 
were  not  Christians  it  would  have  meant  something  worse 
than  in  vain,  i.e.,  even  if  indeed  it  was  just  in  vain  it  would 
bring  to  them  a  disaster  greater  than  the  sufferings  that 
they  first  experienced.  I  never  saw  a  book  in  my  life  where 
more  care  should  be  taken  in  the  interpretation  of  the  words. 

In  verse  5  he  thus  presents  another  view  of  the  point 
about  their  receiving  the  Spirit  by  the  hearing  of  faith: 
"He  therefore  that  supplieth  to  you  the  Spirit,  and  worketh 
miracles  among  you,  doeth  He  it  by  the  works  of  the  law 
or  by  the  hearing  of  faith?"  In  other  words,  "It  is  God 
that  ministered  the  Spirit  to  you,  and  it  is  God  that  worked 
the  miracles  among  you."  Having  looked  at  that  subject- 
ively, let  us  look  at  it  again.  "You  received  the  Spirit  cer- 
tainly by  the  hearing  of  faith.  When  He  ministered  it,  did 
He  minister  it  on  the  condition  that  you  would  keep  the 
law  of  Moses,  or  was  it  on  the  condition  of  faith  ?"  Christ 
said  in  one  place  that  He  could  not  do  many  mighty  works 
because  they  lacked  faith  in  the  miracle-working  power. 
So  that  God  who  ministered  to  them  spoke  on  the  condition 
of  faith,  and  they  received  the  Spirit  by  the  hearing  of 
faith.  God  ministered  the  Spirit  to  them  on  the  condition 
that  they  believe  in  the  miracle-working  power  for  such  a 
purpose. 

We  come  now  to  a  new  point  that  extends  down  to  the 
end  of  verse  17.     In  verses  6  and  7  he  presents  a  new  argu- 


jeS        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ment — ^the  parallel  between  Abraham's  faith  and  the  Chris- 
tian faith.  Abraham  believed  on  God  and  it  was  imputed 
unto  him  for  righteousness.  Genesis  15  shows  when  Abra- 
ham was  converted.  It  is  the  first  place  in  which  the  In- 
carnate Word  presented  himself  to  Abraham  in  a  vision, 
and  it  is  said  he  believed  in  Jehovah  and  He  reckoned,  or 
imputed  it  to  him  for  righteousness.  This  is  the  first  time 
we  find  the  phrase,  "imputed  righteousness."  He  imputed 
Christ's  righteousness  to  him  through  faith.  Abraham  be- 
lieved in  Jehovah;  Jehovah  imputed  or  reckoned  it  unto 
him  for  righteousness.  Now  Paul's  argument  is  this :  Who 
is  the  father  of  the  whole  Jewish  people?  Abraham.  How 
did  Abraham  become  just  before  God?  How  was  he  justi- 
fied ?  He  was  reckoned  righteous.  Righteousness  was  im- 
puted to  him;  he  was  not  righteous  through  his  works, 
but  he  became  just  before  God  through  faith  in  another. 
What  conclusion  does  he  draw  from  that?  "Know  there- 
fore that  they  that  are  of  faith,  the  same  are  sons  of  Abra- 
ham." These  Jews  whom  these  Judaizing  teachers  at- 
tempted to  turn  to  the  law  as  a  means  of  salvation  are  the 
children  of  Abraham  by  faith.  They  are  not  his  children 
according  to  the  flesh,  but  the  true  children  of  Abraham  are 
those  who  have  faith  in  God.  Abraham  had  faith ;  those 
are  his  children  who  have  faith.  As  he  says,  "Know  there- 
fore that  they  that  are  of  faith,  the  same  are  sons  of  Abra- 
ham," just  as  he  argues  that  he  is  not  a  Jew  who  is  one 
outwardly,  but  who  is  one  inwardly. 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  strongest  testimonies  to  the 
Inspiration  of  the  Bible.  "The  scripture,  foreseeing" — there 
the  scripture  is  personified,  as  having  the  prophetic  gift. 
The  scripture  foresaw  that  God  would  justify  the  Gentiles 
by  faith  and  preached  the  gospel  beforehand  unto  Abraham. 
The  scripture  saw  that  in  the  ages  to  come  the  whole  world 
would  become  the  children  of  Abraham  and  preached  the 
gospel  to  him.     In  what  expression  did  it  preach  it  ?    Where 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  «9 

it  says,  "In  thee  shall  all  the  nations  be  blessed."  The 
blessings  could  not  come  to  all  the  nations  as  children  of 
Abraham  by  lineal  descent,  so  they  are  to  be  children  by 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  We  understand  that  when  Abraham 
came  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  that  God  said  to  Abraham, 
"In  thee  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  If 
that  interpretation  of  the  scriptures  is  right,  then  this  fol- 
lows, presented  in  the  next  verse:  "So  then  they  that  are 
of  faith  are  blessed  with  the  faithful  Abraham."  "In  thee 
shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  What  was 
the  blessing?  Justification.  They  are  to  be  justified  before 
God.  That  is  what  the  scripture  foresaw  and  therefore 
any  one  may  receive  the  blessing  of  justification  and  become 
the  child  of  Abraham. 

In  verse  lo  he  brings  up  a  new  witness  for  his  argument 
— ^the  testimony  of  the  law  itself :  "You  want  to  go  back 
and  seek  salvation  from  the  law,  but  what  does  the  law 
say?  As  many  as  are  under  the  law  are  under  the  curse, 
for  it  is  written  [written  in  the  law]  cursed  is  every  one 
who  continueth  not  in  all  things  that  are  written  in  the  book 
of  the  law  to  do  them."  If  they  should  go  back  to  the  law- 
system  of  salvation  he  tells  them  to  listen  to  what  the  law 
says:  "If  you  ever  make  a  break,  if  you  turn  to  the  right 
hand  or  to  the  left  hand,  if  you  violate  the  law  in  any  single 
instance,  you  are  cursed." 

In  verse  1 1  he  makes  still  another  argument  and  we  must 
distinguish  between  these  arguments:  "Now  that  no  man 
is  justified  by  the  law  before  God,  is  evident ;  for,  the  right- 
eous shall  live  by  faith."  This  is  from  Hab.  2 : 4.  That  is 
the  testimony  of  the  prophet.  The  prophet  comes  in  now  to 
support  his  general  line  of  argument.  The  law  says,  "You 
shall  continue  to  live  by  continually  living  in  perfect  obedi- 
ence." Hab.  2:4  says,  "The  just  man  [the  man  who  hath 
justification]  continues  to  live  by  faith."  He  starts  by  faith 
and  keeps  on  by  faith.    This  brings  us  to  a  general  ques- 


»0        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

tion:  This  passage  in  Habakkuk  is  quoted  three  times  by 
Paul — in  the  passage  here,  in  Rom.  i :  17,  and  also  in  Heb. 
10:28.  In  how  many  senses  did  Paul  use  that  passage, 
"The  just  shall  live  by  faith?"  For  instance,  it  means  in 
one  place  that  the  just  by  faith  shall  live,  in  another  place 
that  the  justified  shall  continue  to  live  by  faith,  and  then 
when  we  examine  that  brief  passage  in  Hebrews  we  see 
how  the  inspired  apostle  keeps  getting  meanings  out  of  a 
passage  of  scripture.  It  is  like  drawing  many  buckets  out 
of  a  well,  and  still  the  well  is  not  exhausted.  He  goes  on 
to  say  that  this  prophet  distinctly  says  that  the  just  shall 
live  by  faith.  Then  he  says,  "But  you  know  what  the  law 
says."  We  have  to  put  what  the  law  says  over  against  the 
"by  faith."  We  know  that  the  law  is  not  by  faith,  but  it  is 
by  perfect  obedience — "He  that  doeth  these  things."  Moses 
described  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  saying  that  they 
that  do  these  things  shall  live  by  them,  and  then  he  says, 
"But  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith  speaketh  on  this 
wise."     Thus  he  presents  it  in  contrast. 

Verse  13  says :  "You  seek  to  go  back  to  the  law,  but  when 
you  go  back  you  are  under  the  curse,  for  Christ  redeemed 
us  from  under  the  curse  of  the  law.  When  you  turn  from 
Christ  to  Judaism  you  turn  from  redemption  to  the  curse 
itself."  Redemption  means  to  buy  back,  and  that  is  why 
Christ  died  for  us.  He  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
law.  Now,  he  says,  "having  become  a  curse  for  us,"  that 
is.  He  became  the  vicarious  expiation  (vicarious  means  "in 
place  of  another")  ;  Christ  became  a  curse  for  us,  as  it  is 
written,  "Cursed  is  every  man  that  hangeth  on  a  tree." 
What  was  the  object  of  Christ's  redeeming  us  from  the 
curse  of  the  law?  He  says  in  verse  14  that  upon  the  Gen- 
tiles might  come  the  blessings  of  Christ  that  we  might  re- 
ceive the  promise  of  grace  through  faith. 

I  commend  "The  Bible  Commentary"  and  "Light  foot's 
Commentary,"  which  as  a  rule  are  safe  commentaries.  "The 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  31 

Bible  Commentary"  is  safer  than  the  Cambridge  Bible,  and 
ten  thousand  times  safer  than  the  Expositor's  Bible.  I  also 
recommend  Luther's  "Commentary  on  Galatians." 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Where  may  we  find  an  elaborate  discussion  of  how  a  fallen, 
depraved,  sinful  and  condemned  man  can  be  made  just  before  God? 

2.  What  is  the  intent  of  the  argument  thus  made  in  Galatians? 

3.  How  is  this  argument  set  forth? 

4.  Give  the  ten  antitheses  of  this  argument. 

5.  What  folly  does  Paul  charge  the  Galatians  with  committing, 
who  was  responsible  for  it  primarily,  and  who  secondarily? 

6.  What  the  argument  based  upon  their  experience? 

7.  What  is  the  principle  of  attaining  perfection,  and  the  argument 
based  thereon? 

8.  Give  the  argument  based  on  their  past  sufferings,  and  inter- 
pret the  expression,  "If  it  be  indeed  in  vain." 

9.  Give  the  argument  based  on  their  reception  of  the  miraculous 
gift  of  the  Spirit. 

10.  What  the  argument  based  on  the  parallel  between  Abraham's 
faith  and  the  Christian's  faith? 

11.  What  the  testimony  of  the  law  itself  on  this  point? 

12.  What  the  prophet's  testimony  on  this  point? 

13.  Give  Paul's  three  applications  of  Hab.  2 :  4. 

14.  What  the  argument  based  upon  the  fact  that  Christ  re- 
deemed us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  what  the  object  of  our 
redemption  ? 

15.  What  books  commended? 


IV 

JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  BEFORE  GOD 

(Continued) 

Scripture:    Gal.  3:15-22 

THIS  discussion  commences  at  Galatians  3:15,  thus: 
"Brethren,  I  speak  after  the  manner  of  men:  though 
it  be  but  a  man's  covenant,  yet  when  it  hath  been  con- 
firmed, no  one  maketh  it  void,  or  addeth  thereto." 

There  is  no  reference  to  that  in  either  the  Sinaitic  cove- 
nant or  the  grace  covenant.  Man's  law  concerning  a  cove- 
nant between  men  requires  that  the  agreement  be  kept 
according  to  its  terms,  whether  verbal  or  written.  Nothing 
not  expressed  can  be  added  or  substituted.  A  mental  reser- 
vation on  the  part  of  neither  of  the  makers  of  the  covenant, 
nor  any  after-thought  on  the  part  of  either  can  be  considered 
in  human  law.  So  long  as  the  covenant  is  tentative,  i.e., 
under  consideration,  terms  of  agreement  may  be  modified, 
but  when  it  is  consummated  and  ratified  it  must  stand  on 
the  terms  expressed.  This  applies  not  only  to  all  trades 
between  individuals  but  to  all  treaties  between  nations. 
Even  in  human  judgment  Paul  means  to  say  that  the  char- 
acter of  man  or  nation  stands  impeached  when  a  ratified 
covenant  is  broken.  Disgrace  attaches  to  the  covenant 
breaker.  See  in  Paul's  terrible  arraignment  of  the  heathen 
the  odious  place  and  company  of  "covenant  breakers" 
(Rom.  1 :29).  Here  he  is  showing  the  immorality  of  the 
heathen  life  in  that  they  have  refused  to  have  God  in  their 
knowledge.  God  gave  them  up,  "Being  filled  with  all  un- 
righteousness, wickedness,  covetousness,  maliciousness ;  full 
of  envy,  murder,  strife,  deceit,  malignity ;  whisperers,  back- 

33 


84        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

biters,  hateful  to  God,  haughty,  boastful,  inventors  of  evil 
things,  disobedient  to  parents,  without  understanding,  cove- 
nant breakers."  If  we  notice  the  place  that  covenant 
breakers  occupy  in  that,  and  also  notice  the  company  in 
which  they  are  placed,  we  get  a  conception  of  how,  even 
human  law,  judges  a  man  that  breaks  a  covenant.  The 
brand  of  infamy  burned  on  the  covenant  breaker  derives 
its  odium,  not  merely  from  the  fact  that  all  social  order 
depends  upon  the  keeping  of  faith  according  to  compact, 
but  from  the  fact  that  ratification  involves  an  appeal  to 
God  as  witness  to  the  compact  made  in  His  name  and  under 
oath  expressed  or  implied.  See  Heb.  6 :  i6,  and  compare  the 
covenant  between  Abraham  and  Abimelech  (Gen.  21:22- 
32).  There  is  a  covenant  between  two  men.  After  clearly 
stating  the  terms  of  the  covenant,  sacrifices  are  offered,  and 
the  oath  to  God  is  taken  that  they  will  keep  that  covenant. 
Then  turning  to  Gen.  31:44-53,  we  read  the  covenant  be- 
tween Jacob  and  Laban,  his  father-in-law.  There  again  is 
an  oath  and  a  memorial  called  Mizpah :  "God  shall  witness 
between  thee  and  me  as  to  how  we  keep  this  covenant." 
The  brand  of  infamy  burned  on  the  covenant  breaker  de- 
rives its  significance  from  the  customs  among  nations  of 
regarding  a  compact  of  that  kind  as  being  made  under  wit- 
ness of  God  and  under  oath  to  God.  It  is  in  this  light  that 
we  understand  the  famous  scripture  describing  the  citizen 
of  Zion,  in  Psalm  15:  "Lord  who  shall  ascend  unto  thy 
holy  hill  ?  He  that  hath  clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart  and 
that  sweareth  to  his  own  hurt  and  that  changeth  not,"  that 
is,  a  man  makes  a  trade  with  his  fellow-man  and  afterwards 
finds  out  that  the  trade  is  very  disadvantageous  to  him ;  he 
must  not  take  it  back;  he  swore  to  his  own  hurt  but  he 
didn't  change ;  he  stood  up  to  his  word,  that  is,  having  made 
the  compact  he  sticks  to  it,  no  matter  how  disadvantageous 
to  him,  and  in  this  light  we  understand  the  reproach  cast 
upon  the  Carthaginians  by  the  Romans  in  the  proverb, 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  35 

"Punic  faith,"  because,  as  they  alleged,  the  Carthaginians 
violated  solemn  treaties  ratified  by  oath  and  sacrificed  to 
the  gods.  I  am  explaining  in  giving  this  illustration  what 
Paul  means  by  saying,  "I  speak  after  the  manner  of  men." 
Luther,  in  his  comment  on  this  verse,  is  mistaken  in  limiting 
the  meaning  of  the  diatheke  (covenant)  to  man's  last  will 
and  testament.  In  only  two  verses  in  the  New  Testament 
is  diatheke  to  be  rendered  a  "last  will  and  testament,"  viz. : 
Heb.  9:  i6,  17,  where  the  author  finds  a  resemblance  on  one 
point  between  a  covenant  which  becomes  binding  when  rati- 
fied by  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  and  a  will  which  becomes 
binding  on  the  death  of  the  testator. 

But  Paul's  argument  here  is  from  the  lesser  to  the  greater. 
If  man's  law  will  not  permit  the  annulment  of  a  covenant 
ratified  between  men  by  any  subsequent  emergency  or  after- 
thought, how  much  more  God's  promise  to  Abraham  (Gen. 
12:1-13)  concerning  all  nations  could  not  be  annulled  by 
the  Sinaitic  law-covenant  with  one  nation. 

The  force  of  the  argument  is  overwhelming  as  Paul  de- 
velops it : 

1.  The  Sinaitic  covenant  was  430  years  after  the  solenm 
promise  of  God  concerning  all  nations. 

2.  The  "seed"  of  the  promise  in  Abraham's  case  is  one ; 
He  says,  "of  seed"  not  seeds;  not  many  as  in  the  law-cove- 
nant ;  there  the  seed  of  Abraham  with  which  that  covenant 
was  made  is  plural,  about  3,000,000  of  them  standing  there. 
A  covenant  of  one  kind  made  with  the  multitude  cannot 
annul  a  promise  which  is  given  to  one  person. 

3.  The  promise  carried  a  blessing  through  the  one  seed, 
Christ,  to  all  nations,  whereas  the  law-covenant,  while  it  was 
with  the  fleshly  seed  of  Abraham — lineal  descendants 
(plural),  a  great  multitude — concerned  one  nation  only. 

4.  The  first  was  by  promise  and  not  by  law ;  hence  a 
vast  difference  in  the  terms  or  conditions  of  inheritance. 
An  inheritance  by  promise  cannot  be  an  inheritance  by  law, 


36        GALATIANS,  RO]VIANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

and  vice  versa.     It  will  be  noticed  that  this  section  says  in 
the  next  place  that  this  promise  to  Abraham  was  confirmed 
before  of  God.     When  was  it  confirmed  and  how  was  it 
confirmed?    It  was  confirmed  when  Abraham  offered  up 
Isaac  as  set  forth  in  Gen.  22.     It  was  given  before,  but  it 
was  confirmed  then,  and  it  was  confirmed  by  an  oath.    Men 
confirm  what  they  say  by  an  oath.     Witnesses  go  into  court 
concerning  a  pending  murder  trial,  and  every  man  and 
woman  of  them  has  to  swear  to  the  evidence  given.     !Men 
confirm  their  testimony  by  an  oath.     In  the  Letter  to  the 
Hebrews  the  author  says,  "For  when  God  made  promise  to 
Abraham,  since  He  could  swear  by  none  greater,  He  sware 
by  himself,  saying.  Surely  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and 
multiplying  I  will  multiply  thee.     And  thus,  having  pa- 
tiently endured,  he  obtained  the  promise.     For  men  swear 
by  the  greater;  and  in  every  dispute  of  theirs  the  oath  is 
final  for  confirmation.    Wherein  God,  being  minded  to  show 
more  abundantly  unto  the  heirs  of  the  promise  the  immuta- 
bility of  His  counsel,  interposed  with  an  oath ;  that  by  two 
immutable  things,  in  which  it  is  impossible  for  God  to  lie, 
we  may  have  a  strong  encouragement,  who  have  fled  for 
refuge  to  lay  hold  of  the  hope  set  before  us :  which  we  have 
as  an  anchor  of  the  soul,  a  hope  both  sure  and  steadfast  and 
entering  into  that  which  is  within  the  veil ;  whither  as  a 
forerunner  Jesus  entered  for  us,  having  become  a  high  priest 
forever  after  the  order  of  Melchizedek."     Or,  as  Paul  ex- 
pressed it  in  Romans  4:  "For  this  cause  it  is  of  faith,  that 
it  may  be  according  to  grace ;  to  the  end  that  the  promise 
may  be  sure  to  all  the  seed ;  not  to  that  only  which  is  of  the 
law,  but  to  that  also  which  is  of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  who 
is  the  father  of  us  all.    Mark  the  reason  that  the  promise 
might  be  sure  to  all  seed.    The  law  covenant  could  not 
make  things  sure,  it  could  not  in  its  time,  for  it  had  to  be 
repeated  every  day,  every  week,  every  month,  every  year 
and  so  over  and  over  again.     It  could  not  be  made  sure,  be- 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  37 

cause  if  they  kept  the  law  one  day,  or  one  year,  or  one  hun- 
dred years  and  then  violated  it  in  one  particular  the  next 
year,  they  were  out ;  it  could  not  be  sure.  But  the  inherit- 
ance by  promise  is  absolutely  sure,  because  it  is  based  on  a 
promise. 

Now,  I  will  give  an  explanation  of  the  last  clause  of 
verse  17  of  this  chapter  and  of  verses  18,  19  and  20,  of 
which  no  commentary  known  to  me  has  ever  given  a  satis- 
factory explanation.  I  might  cite  many  different  explana- 
tions. In  the  17th  verse  Paul  distinguishes  between  the 
grace-covenant  confirmed  of  God  and  announced  to  Abra- 
ham and  the  promise  of  that  covenant  given  to  Abraham, 
and  argues  that  the  law-covenant  given  430  years  later  for 
quite  another  purpose  and  to  different  persons  could  not 
disannul  that  promise.  In  the  verses  following  up  to  the 
20th  he  is  not  contrasting  the  grace-covenant  with  the  law- 
covenant  but  the  promise  of  the  grace-covenant  with  the 
law-covenant.  Just  here  come  the  words  hard  to  be  under- 
stood :  "Now  a  mediator  is  not  a  mediator  of  one ;  but  God 
is  one."  How  are  these  words  to  be  construed  relevantly 
with  the  argument?  I  am  able  to  see  but  one  way.  The 
law  was  given  through  a  mediator  because  there  were  two 
distinct  parties  between  whom  Moses  should  be  the  "go- 
between"  or  mediator.  But  in  the  case  of  the  promise  there 
was  only  one  party,  God,  who  of  grace  freely  promises. 
Hence,  there  is  no  need  of  a  mediator  in  the  case  of  a  prom- 
ise. "God  is  one,"  not  two.  God  promises  of  himself.  In 
the  law-covenant  there  were  two,  God  and  the  people.  His 
point  is  just  this,  that  the  law-covenant  had  two  parties  to 
it,  and  these  parties  being  at  variance,  a  mediator,  Moses, 
was  employed  to  bring  them  into  agreement.  In  order  to 
have  the  mediator  there  must  be  two  parties,  but  in  a  prom- 
ise, there  is  only  one  and  that  is  God,  no  mediator,  but  a 
promise.  An  inheritance  by  promise  cannot  be  an  inherit- 
ance by  law,  and  vice  versa. 


38        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

5.  The  nature  of  the  inheritance  was  different.  The 
object  of  the  promise  was  to  secure  spiritual  blessings  and 
a  heavenly  country;  the  object  of  the  law  was  to  secure 
earthly  blessings  and  an  earthly  Canaan. 

6.  In  a  naked  promise  of  pure  grace  there  is  no  mediator 
because  there  is  only  one,  not  two,  and  He,  of  pure  grace  in 
himself,  not  from  obligation  of  a  compact  with  nations, 
promises  a  blessing  to  all  nations,  but  as  there  were  two 
parties  in  the  law-covenant  there  was  a  necessity  for  the 
mediator,  Moses,  the  "go-between"  of  the  two  parties.  It 
is  impossible  to  interpret  intelligently  the  last  clause  of  verse 
17  and  verses  18,  19  and  20,  if  we  ignore  the  fact  that  Paul 
in  these  particular  passages  is  contrasting,  not  covenant 
with  covenant,  but  promise  with  covenant.  He  does 
indeed  in  this  last  clause  of  verse  17  and  throughout  verses 
18,  19  and  20,  contrast  promise  with  covenant  in  order  to 
show  how  inheritance  comes.  There  is  no  mediator  in  a 
promise,  because  there  is  only  one  party,  God,  who  of  pure 
grace  in  himself,  promises,  and  not  of  a  compact-obligation. 
At  Sinai  were  distinctly  two  parties ;  God,  the  party  of  the 
first  part,  proposes  a  covenant  to  the  Jewish  nation,  the 
party  of  the  second  part,  through  a  mediator,  Moses.  But 
when  He  promised  that  in  Abraham's  seed,  singular  number, 
meaning  Christ,  all  the  families  of  nations,  nations  of  the 
earth,  should  be  blessed,  God,  who  is  only  one,  was  indeed 
present,  but  the  nations,  thousands  of  them  yet  unborn,  were 
not  present.  Hence  there  was  no  compact  between  God 
and  the  nations,  and  hence  no  mediator  was  necessary.  The 
nations  assumed  no  obligation.  A  promise  relates  to  the 
future,  and  this  promise  was  not  given  on  any  assumed 
condition  hereafter  to  be  performed  by  them.  The  blessing 
of  the  promise  was  not  in  them  nor  conditioned  on  what 
they  would  be  in  meeting  compact  terms.  It  was  in  Christ, 
and  on  the  condition  of  what  He  would  do.  In  saying  that 
there  is  no  mediator  in  a  promise  to  men  given  freely  by 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  39 

one  party  alone,  it  is  not  said  that  there  is  no  grace-covenant 
whose  benefits  Christ  mediates  to  men.  That  covenant  does 
have  parties  to  it.  But  man  is  not  one  of  the  parties,  for  in 
a  strict  sense  it  was  not  made  with  Abraham,  but  only  the 
promise  of  its  blessings  given  to  him.  The  parties  to  the 
grace-covenant  were  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  and 
it  was  made  in  eternity  before  the  world  was,  and  each  of 
these  parties  had  stipulations  to  perform  in  behalf  of  men 
who  were  to  receive  the  blessings  of  the  covenant,  the 
Father  to  give  His  only  begotten  Son  to  become  the  sinner's 
substitute  in  death  and  judgment,  and  then  to  give  Him  a 
spiritual  seed,  the  Son  to  do  the  Father's  will  in  an  assumed 
nature,  in  obedience  unto  death  on  the  cross,  and  the  Spirit 
to  apply  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  the  Son  and  to  regener- 
ate and  sanctify  those  to  whom  the  application  is  made. 
And  from  this  eternal  covenant,  arise  in  eternity  election 
and  predestination,  calling,  justification,  and  regeneration  on 
earth,  and  glorification  in  eternity  after  the  Lord's  final 
advent.  I  say  this  covenant  was  not  made  with  Abraham, 
but  the  promise  of  its  blessings  was  made  to  him ;  made  to 
him,  however,  in  his  one  promised  seed,  even  Christ.  The 
law-covenant  was  temporary;  it  was  only,  as  the  text  says, 
to  last  until  the  promised  seed  comes;  it  was  transitory. 
The  law-covenant,  because  inferior,  was  given  through  the 
disposition  of  angels.  It  was  subsidiary.  I  use  the  word, 
"subsidiary."  I  will  show  what  I  mean.  Our  text  says 
that  the  law-covenant,  430  years  after  the  promise,  was 
superadded.  What  is  meant  by  "superadded?"  It  was 
added  to  something  that  went  before.  What  is  it  that  went 
before?  The  grace-covenant  and  the  promise  of  the  grace- 
covenant.  The  law-covenant  did  not  come  in  to  annul  what 
preceded  it,  but  it  came  in  to  be  subsidiary  to  what  preceded. 
We  come  now  to  one  of  the  greatest  questions  in  the 
Bible,  and  Paul  raises  it  squarely,  "What  then  is  the  law?" 
Or  as  King  James'  version  reads,  "Wherefore  then  serveth 


40        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  law?"  If  the  law  does  not  annul  the  grace-covenant  or 
its  promise,  what  is  it  for  ?  A  man  is  a  theologian  who  can 
answer  that  question  scripturally.  Here  I  give  some  scrip- 
tures to  study  and  which  must  be  interpreted  before  one  can 
answer  the  question,  "What  then  is  the  law  ?"  I  answer  first 
negatively.  Our  text  says  it  was  not  given  as  a  law  by 
which  life  could  come.  If  we  think  a  moment  we  see  why; 
these  people  were  sinners,  already  under  condemnation. 
How  could  any  attempt  on  their  part  to  keep  the  law  in  the 
future  bring  them  life?  Suppose  the  sinner  should  say,  "I 
want  to  obtain  life  from  the  law,"  and  the  law  should  put 
on  its  spectacles  and  say,  "Were  you  born  holy,  or  did  you 
start  right?"  That  question  knocks  him  out  at  the  start. 
If  there  was  not  anything  else,  he  is  gone.  In  Romans  we 
see  how  Paul  elaborates  this.  Our  case  was  settled  before 
we  were  born.  Suppose  we  waive  this  question  of  starting 
right,  can  we  perfectly  keep  this  law?  Let  us  assume  that 
we  say,  "Yes."  Now,  what  part  of  our  life  is  absolutely 
perfect?  If  we  are  guilty  of  one  point,  we  are  guilty  of  all. 
If  we  should  obey  the  law  perfectly  thirty  years  and  then 
fail  on  one  point  we  are  gone.  "What  then  is  the  law  ?"  or 
"Why  the  law?"  It  certainly  was  not  intended  to  confer 
life.  And  it  was  not  intended  to  bring  us  the  Holy  Spirit, 
for  I  have  already  proven  in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter 
that  the  Spirit  was  received  by  the  hearing  of  faith.  Take 
the  great  blessing — forgiveness  of  sins  and  justification — 
was  the  law  intended  as  the  way  of  justification  ?  It  was  not 
intended  as  a  way  of  life ;  it  was  not  intended  to  justify,  for 
"By  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  in  thy  sight  be  jus- 
tified." What  then  is  the  law?  Here  are  the  scriptures  to 
be  read :  Galatians  3  and  4 ;  Romans  7 : 1-14 ;  5  :  20 ;  3:31; 
4: 15;  II  Cor.  3:6-9.  When  one  can  expound  these  scrip- 
tures he  can  answer  the  question,  "What  then  is  the  law, 
or  why  the  law?"  What  purpose  does  it  serve?  Paul 
says  it  was  superadded  to  the  grace-covenant  and  subsidiary 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  41 

to  the  promise.  Why  was  it  added  ?  Because  of  transgres- 
sions.   But  what  the  import  of  this  reason  ? 

The  object  of  the  law  is  not  to  prevent  sin,  but  to  dis- 
cover sin.  It  is  a  standard  of  right-living,  but  it  is  not  a 
way  of  life. 

A  man  is  a  sinner  and  does  not  seem  to  know  it.  In 
order  to  serve  a  certain  purpose  of  the  grace-covenant,  the 
law  must  be  superadded.  Let  us  hold  this  standard  right 
up  before  the  man's  life,  and  whenever  the  life  does  not 
conform  he  is  shown  to  be  lawless.  What  is  the  purpose? 
To  discover  sin.  I  am  sure  we  cannot  get  the  man  into  the 
grace-covenant,  who  has  not  discovered  sin.  Again  the 
law  was  given  to  provoke  to  sin,  to  make  sin  abound,  to 
provoke  it  to  a  development  of  all  its  potentiality,  that  sin 
may  be  seen  as  exceedingly  sinful.  So  that  the  standard  of 
the  law  not  merely  discovers  sin,  but  by  provocation  de- 
velops it  to  its  utmost  expression.  Sin  must  be  made  to 
appear  exceedingly  sinful.  If  we  want  to  find  what  is  in  a 
boy,  let  us  pass  a  law  that  he  should  not  stand  on  top  of  a 
pole  on  one  foot,  and  we  shall  see  the  boys  climbing  that 
pole  and  doing  that  very  thing.  It  shows  the  lawless  spirit 
that  is  in  a  child,  even  now.  We  thus  see  how  law  is  sub- 
sidiary to  the  grace-covenant,  because  one  must  realize  sin- 
fulness before  we  can  bring  him  in  touch  with  the  promise 
of  grace.  Again,  it  is  the  object  of  the  law  to  condemn 
and  not  to  justify.  Justification  is  the  opposite  of  condem- 
nation. If  a  man  doesn't  feel  that  he  is  condemned,  why 
should  he  seek  to  be  justified?  A  great  many  people  are 
quite  sure  that  they  are  not  under  condemnation  and  there- 
fore they  do  not  need  to  be  justified  by  the  hearing  of  faith. 
What  else?  The  law  was  added  for  wrath,  to  reveal  the 
penalty  of  the  sin.  The  law  was  added  to  gender  bondage 
and  death,  to  make  a  man  see  that  he  is  a  slave  and  doomed 
to  death.  The  subsidiary  nature  of  the  law  appears  again 
in  this  expression  of  the  context :    "The  law  is  a  pedagogue 


42        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

unto  Christ."  What  is  a  pedagogue?  Let  us  get  back  to 
the  etymology  of  the  word.  The  Greek  word  "pedagogue" 
originally  did  not  mean  a  school-master,  but  meant  the  slave 
that  carried  the  little  boy  to  the  school  that  the  teacher 
might  teach  him.  The  law  does  not  teach  a  man  the  way  of 
life,  but  it  is  the  pedagogue — the  slave — in  whose  charge 
he  puts  his  little  son  before  that  son  is  grown,  and  the  duty 
of  that  slave  is  to  accompany  that  little  boy  to  school. 
Why?  If  there  were  not  somebody  along  the  little  boy 
might  play  truant  and  go  fishing  or  hunting.  This  slave's 
business  was  not  to  teach ;  it  was  to  take  him  to  the  school 
where  the  teacher  was  to  teach  him.  Now,  says  Paul,  the 
law  was  intended  to  be  our  pedagogue  to  Christ.  So  we 
see  the  point  and  force  of  the  "superadded."  The  law  is 
subsidiary ;  it  does  no  saving  itself,  but  it  brings  the  sinner 
to  one  who  can  do  something  for  him.  An  old  preacher 
said,  "When  I  find  a  perfectly  hardened  sinner  that  thinks 
he  can  stand  on  his  own  record  I  take  him  to  Mt.  Sinai  and 
turn  him  over  to  it,  smoking  and  thundering  and  let  the  hell- 
scare  get  him,  and  when  that  hell-scare  gets  him  he  will 
look  out  for  relief.  He  will  know  that  he  is  a  sinner."  The 
law  is  a  pedagogue  unto  Christ.  An  old  Presbyterian 
preacher  once  said  that  he  sent  Moses  after  a  sinner,  and 
by  the  time  Moses  knocked  him  down  a  time  or  two  he 
would  be  ready  to  take  the  Savior. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Expound  Gal.  3:  15,  "thoijgh  it  be  but  a  man's  covenant,  etc.," 
showing  (i)  The  requirements  of  a  man's  covenant.  (2)  The  extent 
of  their  application.  (3)  The  disgrace  attached  to  a  covenant 
breaker.  (4)  From  what  the  brand  of  infamy  on  a  covenant  breaker 
derives  its  odium.  (5)  N.  T.  examples  of  covenants  so  regarded. 
(6)  The  reproach  cast  upon  the  Carthaginians.  (7)  Luther's  mis- 
take.    (8)  The  nature  of  Paul's  argimicnt  in  this  verse. 

2.  Give  the  force  of  Paul's  argument  under  the  following  heads : 
(\)  The  difference  of  time.  (2)  The  "seed"  of  the  promise.  (3) 
The  "all  nations"  versus  one  nation.  (4)  The  condition  of  inherit- 
ance.    (5)  The  promise  confirmed — when?    (6)  The  purpose  of  the 


JUSTIFICATION  OF  A  SINNER  43 

promise.  (7)  The  nature  of  the  inheritance.  (8)  The  mediator  of 
the  covenant  versus  no  mediator  of  the  promise,  expounding  par- 
ticularly verses  17,  18,  19  and  20. 

3.  In  saying  that  there  is  no  mediator  in  a  promise  to  man  given 
freely  by  one  party  alone,  what  is  not  said? 

4.  Who  is  the  mediator  of  the  grace-covenant,  viho  its  parties, 
when  made,  and  what  the  stipulations?  From  this  covenant  what 
great  doctrines  arise,  (i)  in  eternity,  (2)  in  time,  (3)  in  eternity 
after  the  Lords  advent? 

5.  What,  then,  Abraham's  relation  to  it? 

6.  What  the  argument  based  upon  the  fact  that  the  law  covenant 
was  given  by  the  disposition  of  angels? 

7.  How  long  was  the  law-covenant  to  last? 

8.  Wherefore,  then,  the  law,  under  the  following  heads:  (i) 
What  scriptures  to  be  studied  here?  (2)  Meaning  of  "superadded" 
— added  to  what?  (3)  Why  added?  (4)  How  does  the  law  (a) 
discover  sin,  (b)  provoke  to  sin,  (c)  condemn  sin,  (d)  gender  to 
bondage  and  death,  (e)  reveal  wrath  or  penalty? 

9.  How  is  the  law  a  pedagogue  unto  Christ? 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST 
Scripture:  Gal.  3:23 — ^4:20 

WHILE  in  the  last  discussion  we  anticipated  some- 
what by  dipping  a  little  into  Gal.  4,  I  commence 
this  chapter  at  3 :  23 :  "But  before  faith  came,  we 
were  kept  in  ward  under  the  law,  shut  up  unto  the  faith 
which  should  afterwards  be  revealed."  The  part  of  that 
verse  that  needs  explanation  is  the  word,  "faith."  Faith 
is  used  in  the  following  senses : 

I.  The  act,  or  exercise,  of  believing  in  Christ.  That 
is  not  what  is  meant  by  the  word  here,  because  the  Old 
Testament  people,  looking  through  the  types,  believed  in 
Christ  and  had  witness  borne  to  their  faith,  as  we  learn 
from  Hebrews  II.  Therefore  the  error  was  radical  when 
a  Baptist  preacher  said  that  there  was  no  faith  in  Christ 
until  after  Christ  came  and  died,  and  no  forgiveness  of 
sins.  And  not  only  did  I  hear  a  Baptist  preacher  say  that, 
but  I  heard  a  Campbellite  preacher  misapply  it  in  the  same 
way,  saying  there  could  be  no  remission  of  sins  until  Christ 
actually  died,  and  then  the  sins  of  the  Old  Testament  saints 
were  remitted.  But  sins  were  remitted  in  Old  Testament 
times  on  God's  acceptance  of  what  the  Surety  would  do  at 
the  proper  time.  We  must  not  confound  expiation  and  re- 
mission. I  will  give  a  financial  illustration.  Paul  writes 
to  Philemon :  "If  Onesimus  oweth  thee  aught,  put  that  to 
mine  account."  The  very  moment  that  Philemon  charged 
it  to  Paul  he  could  no  longer  hold  it  against  Onesimus.  It 
was  remitted  to  Onesimus.  The  surety  was  held,  and  not 
the  original  contractor  of  the  debt.    It  stood  remitted  against 

4a 


46        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

Onesimus,  since  it  was  put  to  Paul's  account.  The  debt  was 
not  actually  paid  to  the  creditor.  Only  the  personal  respon- 
sibility for  the  debt  was  changed.  It  was  paid  whenever 
Paul  should  pay  it  later.  Just  so  God  was  in  the  world  in 
Old  Testament  times  not  reckoning,  or  charging,  or  imput- 
ing their  sins  to  them,  but  was  charging  them  to  Christ  and 
reckoning  them  to  Christ,  and  so  sins  were  remitted  just  as 
freely  in  the  Old  Testament  times  as  in  the  New  Testament 
times,  but  the  actual  expiation  was  not  made  until  Christ 
died.  I  quote  from  the  "Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith" 
the  following: 

Art.  VIII,  Sec.  6 :  "Although  the  price  of  redemption  was 
not  actually  paid  by  Christ  until  after  His  incarnation,  yet 
the  virtue,  efficacy  and  benefit  thereof  was  communicated  to 
the  elect  in  all  ages  successively  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world,  etc." 

Again  Art.  XI,  Sec.  6:  "The  justification  of  believers 
under  the  Old  Testament  was  in  all  these  respects,  one  and 
the  same  with  the  justification  of  believers  under  the  New 
Testament."  And  what  is  more  authoritative  than  any  con- 
fession of  faith  is  the  testimony  of  God's  Word  in  Rom. 
4 : 7  and  II  Cor.  5 :  19.  Nevertheless  one  should  either  sub- 
scribe to  the  confession  of  his  denomination  on  vital  points 
or  quit  the  denomination. 

2.  Faith  sometimes  means  the  body,  or  system,  of  gospel 
truths,  usually  preceded  by  the  article,  "the."  But  evi- 
dently that  cannot  be  the  meaning  here.  In  what  sense 
then  is  "faith"  used  in  Gal.  3:23?  Here  is  the  reading 
which  supplies  the  modifying  words:  "But  before  the 
object  of  faith  came  we  were  kept  in  ward  under  the  law." 
The  object  of  faith  is  Christ,  the  antitype.  The  simple 
meaning  of  the  whole  section  is,  that  an  Old  Testament  be- 
liever, though  his  sins  were  remitted  and  he  was  justified, 
must  yet  observe  the  law  of  types  until  Christ  came.  Just 
as  in  chapter  4  it  says,  "But  I  say  that  so  long  as  the  heir 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST  4n 

is  a  child,  he  differeth  nothing  from  a  bondservant,  though 
he  is  Lord  of  all ;  but  is  under  guardians  and  stewards  until 
the  day  appointed  of  the  father."  Being  shut  up  under  the 
law  meant  that  the  Old  Testament  saint,  though  his  sins 
were  remitted  by  faith  in  the  antitype,  yet  had  to  keep  on 
fulfilling  the  requirements  of  the  law  as  to  feasts  and  cere- 
monies and  the  observance  of  days.  He  was  in  the  position 
of  an  heir  but  had  not  yet  obtained  his  majority,  but  had 
to  keep  up  the  type  until  the  antitype  came.  We  need  to 
get  that  meaning  clear  in  our  mind,  because  in  the  New 
Testament  an  argument  is  based  on  it.  We  have  Moses  who 
had  real  faith,  and  David  and  Enoch  and  Elijah,  who  had 
real  faith,  but  they  kept  up  the  ceremonial  law.  The  form 
was  symbolic  in  the  Mosaic  law,  and  in  the  law  preceding 
Moses.  Why  do  we  not  now  do  as  did  the  early  people? 
Because  the  object  of  faith  came,  and  the  heirs  of  faith 
are  now  out  from  under  the  law.  We  are  not  under  stew- 
ards and  governors  as  the  Old  Testament  people  were.  I 
spent  an  hour  trying  to  get  a  Baptist  preacher  straight 
on  this  passage  in  Galatians,  and  I  am  sure  I  convinced 
him. 

I  now  explain  the  next  verse :  "So  that  the  law  has  be- 
come our  tutor  to  bring  us  unto  Christ."  The  Greek  word 
is  compound,  pais,  a  child,  and  agogos,  a  conductor.  Agogos 
is  from  the  verb,  agein,  to  lead,  or  conduct.  To  complete 
the  analogy  we  have  only  to  refer  to  the  heathen  custom  of 
entrusting  the  care  of  a  child  in  his  nonage,  to  a  slave.  This 
slave  was  not  necessarily  the  teacher,  in  the  modern  sense  of 
pedagogue,  but  would  lead  the  child  to  the  school  where 
the  real  teacher  would  instruct  him.  So  the  law,  a  slave, 
leads  to  Christ,  the  great  teacher.  In  this  sense  the  law 
evidently  was  not  to  annul  the  previous  covenant  of  grace, 
but  was  added  to  it  in  a  subsidiary  or  helpful  sense.  But 
now  that  the  object  of  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer  under 
the  tutor.     In  many  places  Paul  thus  argues  against  any 


48        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

lapsing  into  Judaism.  It  was  going  back  to  the  rudiments, 
the  weak  and  beggarly  elements  of  an  obsolete  dispensation. 
The  whole  book  of  Hebrews  is  written  on  that  subject. 

So  a  man  who  observes  the  seventh  day  ifistead  of  the 
first  day  proclaims  that  he  is  still  in  the  Old  Testament. 

We  come  now  to  a  thought  not  discussed  before,  verse 
26:  "For  ye  are  all  sons  of  God  through  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus."  The  Jews,  as  Jews,  were  not  sons  by  faith,  but  sons 
by  lineal,  fleshly  descent.  "For  as  many  of  you  as  were 
baptized  into  Christ  did  put  on  Christ."  What  is  the  force 
of  "baptized  into  Christ?" 

I  had  a  Campbellite  brother  say  to  me, 

"You  Baptists  have  no  method  of  induction  into  Christ." 
I  said, 

"What  is  your  method  ?"    He  said, 

"We  baptize  into  Christ,"    Then  I  said, 

"How  will  you  reply  to  the  Roman  Catholic  when  he  says 
you  Campbellites  have  no  method  of  inducting  Christ  into 
you?  You  ask  them  how  they  induct  Christ  into  men  and 
they  answer,  'By  eating  the  flesh  and  drinking  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  mass.' " 

I  reply  to  both,  for  the  Catholic  has  better  ground  than 
the  Campbellite — that  each  ordinance  is  a  symbolic,  picto- 
rial induction.  Baptism  does  not  really  put  us  into  Christ. 
On  the  contrary,  says  Paul,  "By  faith  we  enter  into  this 
grace  wherein  we  stand."  Eating  the  bread  and  drinking 
the  wine  does  not  really  put  Christ  into  us,  for  by  the  Spirit 
Christ  is  put  into  us,  or  "formed  in  us  the  hope  of  glory." 
(See  also  H  Cor.  3 :  18  and  4:6.)  Baptism  does  not  really 
put  us  into  Christ;  it  is  only  figurative  of  it.  Paul  says, 
"By  faith  we  are  all  children  of  God."  By  faith,  and  not 
by  baptism,  so  that  the  form  of  being  baptized  into  Christ 
is  not  the  reality  of  putting  us  into  Christ.  In  baptism  we 
put  on  Christ,  as  an  enlisted  soldier  puts  on  the  uniform 
which  is  the  external  emblem,  or  symbol,  of  his  enlistment. 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST  49 

The  next  verse  calls  for  some  explanation.  "There  can 
be  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  can  be  neither  bond  nor 
free,  there  can  be  no  male  and  female;  for  ye  all  are  one 
man  in  Christ  Jesus."  What  are  the  distinctions  between 
the  two  covenants  ?  Under  the  Mosaic  covenant  a  Jew  only 
belonging  to  the  nation  by  fleshly  descent  was  in  the  cove- 
nant. But  in  the  new  covenant  it  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek. 
There  is  no  distinction  of  nationahty.  That  is  the  first 
point.  They  all  come  in  just  alike,  as  the  animals  went 
into  the  ark  through  one  door.  There  was  just  one  door; 
the  eagle  had  to  swoop  down  and  go  in  the  same  door  that 
the  snail  crawled  through. 

The  second  point  of  distinction  is  not  national,  but  in 
Christ  there  is  no  distinction  between  a  slave  and  his  mas- 
ter. Abraham's  slaves  were  circumcised  because  they  be- 
longed to  him.  But  in  the  new  covenant  the  slaves  of  a  be- 
liever are  not  baptized  because  they  belong  to  him.  Neither 
the  relation  of  children  nor  slaves  put  them  in  the  covenant 
and  entitles  them  to  the  ordinances.  Earthly  relations  do 
not  count  at  all  in  the  new  covenant.  Here  the  individual 
alone  counts.  The  child  of  a  preacher  must  himself  repent 
and  believe  and  must  be  baptized  for  himself.  The  preach- 
er's wife  must  repent  and  believe  and  be  baptized  for  her- 
self. She  must  take  no  religious  step  because  of  her  rela- 
tion to  her  husband,  such  as  joining  "his  church"  to  be  with 
him  or  in  order  to  "commune  with  him."  This  passage 
means  even  more  than  that.  In  the  old  covenant  only  the 
males  received  the  token  of  the  covenant.  In  the  new  cove- 
nant there  is  no  distinction  as  to  ordinances  between  male 
and  female.  The  woman  is  baptized  as  well  as  the  man.  If 
one  was  a  slave  of  a  Jew,  the  law  required  that  the  slave 
should  be  circumcised,  becoming  a  member  of  the  covenant 
through  circumcision.  Under  the  new  covenant,  it  is  clearly 
said  that  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free — that  a  slave  does 
not  come  in  because  he  is  a  slave  belonging  to  some  one 


60        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

in  the  covenant,  but  comes  in  on  his  own  personal  faith  in 
Christ,  just  as  any  other  sinner  comes  in. 

I  repeat  that  the  next  point  of  difference  in  that  verse  is 
one  of  sex.  Under  the  Jewish  covenant  only  the  male  re- 
ceived the  token  of  the  covenant.  The  woman's  position  in 
the  Mosaic  covenant  was  a  very  subordinate  one,  but  in  the 
new  covenant  the  woman  receives  the  ordinance  of  the  cove- 
nant just  the  same  as  the  man.  She  is  a  human  being  and 
comes  in  by  her  own  personal  faith  in  Christ,  and  is  received 
by  baptism  just  the  same  as  if  she  were  a  man.  So  we  see 
that  makes  a  very  important  distinction  in  the  two  covenants. 

Verse  29  needs  just  a  word  of  explanation :  "And  if  ye 
are  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed,  heirs  according  to 
promise,"  whether  a  heathen,  a  Jew,  a  Scythian,  Bohemian, 
a  man  or  a  woman.  If  one  gets  into  Christ  by  faith  then 
he  belongs  to  Abraham's  seed — not  his  fleshly  seed,  but  his 
spiritual  seed,  as  Paul  says,  "He  is  not  a  Jew  who  is  one 
outwardly,  but  he  is  a  Jew  who  is  one  inwardly."  The  real 
circumcision  is  not  the  circumcision  of  the  flesh,  but  of  the 
heart.  He  is  repeating  what  I  have  explained  before :  "But 
I  say  that  so  long  as  the  heir  is  a  child,  he  diflfereth  nothing 
from  a  bondservant  though  he  is  lord  of  all;  but  is  under 
guardians  and  stewards  until  the  day  appointed  of  the 
father."  So  the  Old  Testament  saints  as  children  were  held 
in  bondage  under  the  rudiments  of  the  world,  that  is,  bound 
to  observe  those  ceremonial  laws  of  sacrifice  and  the  entire 
sabbatic  cycle.  "But  when  the  fullness  of  time  came,  God 
sent  forth  His  Son,  born  of  a  woman,  born  under  the  law, 
that  He  might  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  that 
we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons."  We  are  not  chil- 
dren of  God  by  ordinary  generation.  We  are  children  of 
God  by  regeneration.  When  born  naturally  I  was  not  in 
the  kingdom,  not  in  the  church,  not  in  anything  religious, 
yet  some  denominations  teach  that  the  church  consists  of  be- 
lievers and  their  children.    We  don't  get  in  because  we  are 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST  61 

the  sons  of  some  member  that  is  in,  or  the  slave,  or  the  wife 
of  somebody  that  is  in — we  do  not  get  in  that  way.  We 
come  in  by  adoption.  What  is  adoption?  Adoption  is  that 
process  of  law  by  which  one,  not  naturally  a  member  of  the 
family,  is  legally  made  a  member  and  an  heir  of  the  family. 
Naturally  we  do  not  belong  to  God's  family.  We  could  not 
call  God  father. 

Now  comes  a  point  more  precious  than  any  I  have  pre- 
sented, 4:16:  "And  because  ye  are  sons  [by  adoption,  by  re- 
generation], God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  our 
hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father." 

I  remember  as  distinctly  as  I  can  remember  anything  that 
ever  came  in  my  experience,  the  day,  the  place  and  the  hour 
when  in  my  heart  I  could  say  for  the  first  time,  to  God, 
"Father;"  when  the  realization  of  God's  fatherhood  and 
when  the  filial  feeling  toward  God  came  into  my  soul.  That 
was  when  I  accepted  Christ. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  old  covenant  that  gave  one  that 
individual  assurance,  that  inward  witness.  It  could  not,  as 
it  came  by  natural  descent,  but  here  is  a  very  precious  thing 
in  the  new  covenant  that  to  all  those  who  by  faith  enter  into 
this  covenant,  there  is  given  a  witness :  "God's  Spirit  wit- 
nesseth  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God." 
The  filial  feeling  comes  to  us.  The  first  time  I  preached  on 
that  subject  I  used  this  illustration:  If  I  were  to  go  to 
spend  a  night  with  one  of  the  neighbors  and,  not  knowing 
his  children  personally,  would  see  the  children  come  in  from 
school,  I  could  tell  by  watching  them  which  ones  were  the 
children  of  that  home  and  which  were  the  neighbor's  chil- 
dren, without  asking  any  questions.  The  real  child  of  the 
house  has  perfect  freedom.  There  is  no  form  nor  stilts. 
The  little  girls  just  run  right  up  to  their  mamma  and  say, 
"Give  me  this,"  or  "give  me  that,"  but  the  neighbor's 
child  is  more  ceremonious  in  making  requests  and  taking 
familiar  liberties,  because  there  is  no  filial  feeling.    An  or- 


5«        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

phan  received  into  a  home,  after  having  been  legally 
adopted,  will  at  first  be  shy  and  distant.  Only  when  by  long 
usage  the  child  begins  to  exercise  the  filial  feeling  does  he 
feel  that  he  belongs  there.  When  in  such  case  that  filial 
feeling  begins  to  appear  in  the  child  there  is  something  that 
somewhat  answers  to  the  Spirit's  witness  to  our  spirits  that 
we  are  children  of  God  and  may  say,  "Father." 

As  a  sinner  I  thought  of  God  often,  that  is,  His  holiness, 
His  justness  and  His  omnipotence,  and  the  thought  was 
more  terrifying  than  pleasant,  but  as  a  Christian  there  is 
nothing  sweeter  in  the  heart  than  when  I  think  of  God  as 
father.  It  is  the  sweetest  thought  I  ever  had — "our 
Father."  He  is  no  longer  dreadful  to  me  nor  distant,  but 
the  filial  feeling  in  my  heart  toward  God  gives  me  a  freedom 
of  approach  to  Him.  I  count  that  one  of  the  most  precious 
blessings  of  the  new  covenant. 

To  continue :  "So  that  thou  art  no  longer  a  bondservant, 
but  a  son ;  and  if  a  son,  then  an  heir  through  God.  Howbeit 
at  that  time,  not  knowing  God,  ye  were  in  bondage  to  them 
that  by  nature  are  no  gods  [ye  were  idolators] :  but  now 
that  ye  have  come  to  know  God,  or  rather  to  be  known  by 
God,  how  turn  ye  back  again  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  rudi- 
ments, whereunto  ye  desire  to  be  in  bondage  over  again?" 
We  can  understand  how  a  slave  should  want  to  step  out  of 
bondage  into  the  privileges  of  sonship  and  heirship,  but  it 
is  more  difficult  to  understand  that  a  son  and  heir  should 
desire  to    go  back  to  the  position  of  bondage. 

I  heard  a  Baptist  preacher  once  say  that  repentance  is 
"to  know  God."  I  told  him  that  it  was  much  more  important 
for  God  to  know  us  than  for  us  to  know  God ;  that  our  title 
to  heaven  did  not  consist  of  our  being  sure  that  we  knew 
God,  but  in  being  sure  that  God  knew  us ;  that  many  in  the 
last  day  would  say,  "Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us;  we  have 
prophesied  in  thy  name,"  but  He  will  say,  "You  claim  to 
know  me,  but  I  never  knew  you." 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST  68 

A  passage  in  Paul's  Letter  to  Timothy  is  much  in  point 
just  here.  The  apostle  is  describing  how  some  who  once 
claimed  to  know  God  had  made  shipwreck  of  the  faith. 
He  rebukes  the  idea  of  our  standing  in  God's  sight  by  what 
we  know,  or  claim,  by  describing  the  seal  of  a  true  Chris- 
tian. This  seal  bears  a  double  inscription.  On  one  side 
the  inscription  reads:  "The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are 
His,"  and  on  the  other  side  the  inscription  reads:  "Let 
every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of  the  Lord  depart  from 
iniquity."  This  gives  two  real  tests  of  one's  profession: 
(i)  Does  the  Lord  know  him  to  be  a  Christian,  as  Jesus 
says,  "I  know  my  sheep?"  (2)  Does  he  bear  fruit?  Does 
he  depart  from  iniquity?  In  other  words,  does  the  sheep 
follow  the  Shepherd  ?  The  passage  is  H  Tim.  2 :  19  where 
he  rebukes  the  errorists,  who  had  overthrown  the  faith  of 
some,  by  saying,  "Howbeit  the  firm  foundation  of  God 
standeth,  having  this  seal,  The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are 
His,"  and,  "Let  every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of  the  Lord 
depart  from  unrighteousness."  What  a  theme  that  is  for  a 
sermon ! 

We  may  be  mistaken  in  thinking  we  are  Christians,  but 
He  doesn't  make  any  mistakes.  Spurgeon  says,  "Our  title 
to  salvation  does  not  depend  on  our  hold  on  Christ,  but  on 
His  hold  on  us."  We  may  shake  loose  our  hold  on  Christ, 
but  Christ  doesn't  turn  us  loose.  Peter  turned  loose  and 
thought  he  was  gone,  but  Christ  did  not  turn  loose,  so  Peter 
was  not  gone.  That  is  why  he  changes  that  expression, 
"Rather  to  be  known  of  God." 

I  was  attending  a  meeting  in  Burleson  County  conducted 
by  our  Methodist  friends  (and  they  do  hold  some  mighty 
good  meetings),  and  a  great  many  penitents  were  forward. 

"Come  into  the  altar  and  help  those  laboring  souls,"  a 
brother  said. 

So  I  went  and  sat  down  by  a  man  that  was  crying  and 
groaning,  and  I  said. 


64        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPriANS 

"My  brother,  what  are  you  crying  about?"    He  says, 

"Well,  I  have  been  converted  a  dozen  times  and  I  always 
fall,  and  now  I  have  fallen  again."    I  said, 

"Perhaps  you  are  mistaken  on  one  or  the  other  of  these 
points." 

"No,  sir;  I  know  I  am  not  mistaken;  I  know  I  was  con- 
verted and  now  I  have  lost  it."    I  said, 

"Then  what  are  you  crying  about  ?  Tears  are  quite  use- 
less in  such  a  case." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  asked.    I  replied, 

"On  your  statement  your  case  is  hopeless  according  to 
this  scripture:  'For  as  touching  those  that  were  once  en- 
lightened and  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  were  made 
partakers  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  tasted  the  good  word  of 
God,  and  the  powers  of  the  age  to  come,  and  then  fell  away, 
it  is  impossible  to  renew  them  again  unto  repentance.'" 
Then  I  said, 

"You  see,  my  friend,  why  this  is  so.  I  can  neither  help 
you  nor  comfort  you  in  any  way  until  you  can  give  up  one 
or  the  other  of  your  positive  assertions.  You  are  making 
your  fallible  knowledge  of  two  vital  points  the  standard. 
What  have  I  or  any  other  preacher  to  present  to  you?  If 
I  present  Christ  as  the  only  name  whereby  one  can  be 
saved,  you  say  you  have  tried  Him  and  He  failed.  If  I  pre- 
sent faith  as  the  only  means  of  laying  hold  on  Christ,  you 
say  you  have  tried  that  and  it  failed.  If  I  present  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  the  only  one  who  can  apply  Christ's  blood  and 
regenerate  and  sanctify  you,  you  say  you  have  tried  Him 
on  all  these  points  and  He  failed.  I  am  sure  I  have  nothing 
more  to  offer  you.  The  only  three-ply  rope  that  can  lift 
you  to  heaven  you  say  has  been  broken  in  all  its  strands  in 
your  case;  so  there  is  nothing  left  for  you  but  to  get  ready 
for  hell."    He  quit  crying  at  once  and  said, 

"Maybe  I  was  mistaken  on  one  of  those  points."  I  re- 
plied, 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST  55 

"Just  so,  and  the  sooner  you  can  determine  on  which  one 
the  sooner  I  can  direct  you  what  to  do.  If  on  the  first 
point,  then  seek  a  salvation  you  never  had,  just  as  any  other 
sinner.  If  on  the  second  point  only,  then  seek  healing  as  a 
backslider." 

Verse  lo :  "Ye  observe  days,  and  months,  and  seasons, 
and  years."  That  is  an  unmistakable  reference  to  the  sab- 
batical days  of  the  Old  Testament  economy — their  seventh 
day  Sabbath,  their  lunar  Sabbath,  their  annual  Sabbaths  and 
their  jubilee  Sabbath,  which  means  that  one  so  doing  pre- 
fers the  Old  Testament  economy  to  the  New.  Compare  his 
strong  teaching  on  this  point  in  his  Letter  to  the  Colossians — 
Col.  2:20-23. 

Verse  11:  "I  am  afraid  of  you,  lest  by  any  means  I  have 
bestowed  labor  upon  you  in  vain."  Here  he  questions  not 
himself,  nor  what  he  preached,  but  fears  that  their  profes- 
sion was  empty  and  vain.  For  if  they  had  truly  accept- 
ed Christ,  why  should  they  leave  the  substance  for  the 
shadow,  thus  practically  saying  that  Christ  had  not  come 
yet? 

In  verse  15  we  note  a  question :  "Where  then  is  that 
gratulation  of  yourselves?"  (Amer.  Standard).  "Where 
then  the  blessedness  ye  spake  of?"  (Common  Version). 
The  point  of  the  question  is  this :  They  counted  themselves 
as  so  great  beneficiaries  of  Paul  in  the  first  meeting  that  he 
to  them  was  an  angel  from  heaven,  and  their  gratitude  so 
great  they  were  ready  to  pluck  out  their  own  eyes  to  give 
to  him ;  it  was  marvelous  that  all  this  had  so  rapidly  passed 
away,  and  a  contrary  attitude  assumed  toward  him.  It 
called  for  an  adequate  explanation  which  must  be  sought  on 
supernatural  grounds  or  the  intervention  of  a  bewitching 
power.  Mere  fickleness  of  mind  on  their  part,  since  he 
hadn't  changed,  could  not  explain.  Let  the  reader  compare 
the  prophet's  address  to  Ephraim  and  Judah  (Hos.  6:4), 
and  point  out  the  expression  in  the  famous  hymn,  "O,  for 


56        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

a  closer  walk  with  God,"  based  on  the  common  version 
rendering  of  this  verse. 

We  note  another  piercing  question  in  verse  i6:  "Am  I 
become  your  enemy,  by  telling  you  the  truth  ?" 

Many  years  ago  I  read  an  account  of  two  visits  of  Henry 
Clay  to  Lexington,  Kentucky.  He  was  very  popular  in 
Kentucky.  On  one  occasion  the  whole  town  turned  out  to 
welcome  him.  Houses  were  covered  with  banners,  bands 
were  playing  "Behold  the  Conquering  Hero  Comes."  Later 
he  made  a  second  visit  to  that  town  and  they  greeted  him 
with  rotten  eggs. 

What  had  changed  them?  Clay  had  not  changed.  A 
very  beautiful  incident  occurred  on  that  last  visit.  Among 
the  crowd  that  was  against  him  on  the  last  visit  was  an  old 
mountaineer,  a  hunter,  with  his  long  Kentucky  rifle  in  his 
hand,  who  came  up  and  said,  "Mr.  Clay,  it  breaks  my  heart 
to  tell  you.  I  have  been  standing  by  you  all  my  life,  but 
that  last  vote  of  yours  in  Congress  has  turned  me,  and  I 
have  to  go  back  on  you."  Clay  looked  at  him  and  reached 
out  and  took  hold  of  his  gun,  saying,  "Is  this  a  good  old 
Kentucky  rifle?"  "Yes,  sir;  never  a  better."  "Has  it 
never  happened  when  you  were  out  hunting  because  there 
was  no  meat  in  the  house,  that  you  saw  a  big  buck  in  easy 
range,  and  lo !  your  gun  snapped  ?"  "Yes,  sir ;  it  has  hap- 
pened." "What  did  you  do — throw  away  the  gun,  or  pick 
the  flint  and  try  it  again?"  The  old  hunter  said,  "I  see 
the  point ;  I'll  pick  the  flint  and  try  you  again." 

In  verse  17  Paul  lays  bare  the  motive  of  the  authors  of 
this  sudden  change :  "They  zealously  seek  you  in  no  good 
way;  nay,  they  desire  to  shut  you  out,  that  ye  may  seek 
them."  Their  object  was  to  shut  out  their  credulous  victims 
from  Paul  that  they  might  be  sought  as  teachers  themselves. 

We  come  to  two  verses  that  need  a  little  explanation: 
"My  little  children,  of  whom  I  am  again  in  travail  until 
Christ  be  formed  in  you" — then  he  stops  and  never  does 


INDUCTION  INTO  CHRIST  57 

finish  the  sentence.  There  is  a  dash  there  showing  that  his 
own  mind  is  in  doubt  as  to  whether  they  were  false  pro- 
fessors or  backsliders.  "But  I  could  wish  to  be  present  with 
you  now,  and  to  change  my  tone ;  for  I  am  perplexed  about 
you."  He  did  not  know  just  how  to  treat  them — whether 
to  present  a  personal  Christ  to  them  as  to  those  never  hav- 
ing had  any  real  faith,  or  whether  to  try  to  bring  them  back 
as  backsliders.  He  could  not  tell  what  was  in  their  hearts. 
He  could  not  read  them.  "I  am  perplexed."  "If  I  just 
knew  your  real  state,  I  would  know  how  to  talk  to  you ;  if, 
like  God,  I  could  know  whether  you  are  Christians  or  not 
I  would  know  what  to  say  to  you."  So  all  preachers  in 
their  experience  have  that  perplexity  of  mind  when  dealing 
with  some  people. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  meaning  of  faith  in  3 :  23  ? 

2.  Give  several  meanings  of  the  word,  "faith." 

3.  Illustrate  a  misinterpretation  of  faith  in  this  verse. 

4.  Give  the  financial  illustration  of  how  Old  Testament  saints 
were  justified. 

5.  Why  did  they  keep  up  the  ceremonial  law,  and  why  do  we 
not  keep  it  ? 

6.  Explain  the  law  as  a  pedagogue  unto  Christ. 

7.  What  is  the  force  of  "baptized  unto  Christ?"  Give  the  posi- 
tion of  the  Campbellites,  Catholics  and  Baptists  on  this  point. 

8.  What  are  the  distinctions  between  the  two  covenants — (i)  As 
to  nationality?     (2)  As  to  slaves  and  their  masters?     (3)  As  to  sex? 

9.  What  is  adoption,  and  upon  what  is  this  legal  process  based? 

10.  How  is  the  fatherhood  of  God  realized?  Give  the  author's 
illustration. 

11.  What  is  the  result.    (See  4:6,7.) 

12.  What  is  the  difference  between  knowing  God  and  being 
known  of  God,  which  the  more  important,  and  why? 

13.  What  inscriptions  on  the  Christian's  seal? 

14.  What  is  the  reference  in  4 :  10,  "Ye  observe  days,  months, 
etc.,"  and  what  Paul's  teaching  on  this  in  Col.  2 :  20-23  ? 

15.  Contrast  their  present  attitude  toward  Paul  with  their  former 
attitude,  and  illustrate. 

16.  Compare  the  prophet's  address  to  Ephraim  and  Judah,  and 
point  out  the  expression  in  "Oh,  for  a  closer  walk  with  God,"  based 
on  the  common  version  rendering  of  4: 15. 

17.  What  the  motive  of  the  authors  of  this  sudden  change? 

18.  What  doubt  is  indicated  by  the  dash  in  verse  19,  and  what  the 
perplexity  indicated  by  it? 


VI 

THE  TWO  COVENANTS 
Scriptures:  Gal.  4:21 — 5:12 

THIS  discussion  commences  at  Gal.  4:21,  and  we 
note  first  the  distinct  paragraphs  in  what  remains  in 
this  letter.  From  verse  21,  where  we  commence, 
to  the  end  of  verse  i  of  chapter  5  is  a  distinct  paragraph. 
That  chapter  division  is  very  unfortunate.  Chapter  5  should 
commence  at  verse  2.  The  next  paragraph  is  from  verses  2 
to  6,  inclusive.  There  the  most  of  the  argument  of  the 
book  ends,  though  he  takes  up  an  argument  after  that. 
The  next  paragraph  is  from  5 : 7-12.  The  next  paragraph 
commences  at  5 :  13  and  goes  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  The 
next  paragraph  takes  in  the  first  ten  verses  of  chapter  6. 
Then  we  have  the  closing  paragraph.  It  would  be  well  if, 
instead  of  chapters  and  verses,  the  book  had  been  divided 
on  the  paragraph  plan  as  I  have  suggested,  and  as  we  would 
find  if  we  were  studying  it  in  the  Greek. 

I  call  attention  to  some  textual  matters:  Verse  31  of 
chapter  4  and  verse  i  of  chapter  5,  ought  to  be  really  just 
one  verse,  and  it  is  an  exceedingly  difficult  matter,  accord- 
ing to  the  manuscripts,  to  tell  just  how  that  verse  should 
stand  as  to  its  parts.  The  oldest  manuscripts  are  followed 
in  the  American  Standard  Revision.  Lightfoot  insists  that 
we  should  read  those  two  verses  this  way:  "Wherefore, 
brethren,  we  are  not  children  of  a  handmaid  [or  bond 
woman]  but  of  a  free  woman  in  the  liberty  with  which 
Christ  has  made  us  free;  therefore  stand  and  be  not  en- 
tangled again  in  the  yoke  of  bondage."  That  is  the  way 
Lightfoot  would  read  it.    It  is  just  a  question  of  the  manu- 

69 


60        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

script  about  the  position  of  the  words.  The  Revised  Stand- 
ard Version  follows  the  best  manuscripts,  making  it  read 
just  as  we  have  it  here,  only  it  is  not  all  one  verse :  "Where- 
fore, brethren,  we  are  not  children  of  a  handmaid,  but  of 
the  f reewoman.  For  freedom  did  Christ  set  us  free :  stand 
fast  therefore,  and  be  not  entangled  again  in  a  yoke  of 
bondage."  I  would  call  attention  to  a  great  many  others  of 
that  kind  if  we  were  studying  the  Greek.  Verse  25  of 
chapter  4,  in  the  Standard  Revision  reads :  "Now  this  Hagar 
is  Mount  Sinai  in  Arabia,  and  answereth  to  the  Jerusalem 
that  now  is :  for  she  is  in  bondage  with  her  children."  Some 
manuscripts  make  that  read:  "Sinai  is  a  mountain  in 
Arabia."  I  don't  agree  with  those  manuscripts  at  all. 
Everybody  knows  that  Sinai  is  a  mountain  in  Arabia,  and 
the  Revised  Version  follows  the  best  texts  in  that. 

We  will  now  take  up  the  exposition  of  4: 21 :  "Tell  me,  ye 
that  desire  to  be  under  the  law,  do  you  not  hear  the  law  ?" 
I  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  what  the  law  here  says  does 
not  occur  in  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers  or  Deuteronomy, 
but  it  occurs  in  Genesis,  and  the  point  about  it  is  this,  that 
the  New  Testament  as  well  as  the  Old  Testament,  calls  the 
history  in  the  Pentateuch  law,  as  well  as  the  legislation 
itself.  The  history  is  the  background  of  the  statutes — the 
whole  of  it.  History  and  legislation  is  called  the  law.  If 
we  get  that  clear  in  our  minds  it  will  save  us  from  the  mis- 
takes of  the  radical  critics.  Whether  it  be  history  in  Genesis 
or  legislation  on  Mt.  Sinai,  it  is  called  the  law. 

Verse  22:  "It  is  written  that  Abraham  had  two  sons." 
He  says  the  law  (which  is  in  Genesis)  tells  us  that  there 
was  one  by  a  handmaid  and  one  by  a  f  reewoman.  The  next 
verse  shows  us  the  distinction  between  the  births  of  those 
children.  The  son  of  the  handmaid  is  bom  after  the  flesh — 
a  perfectly  natural  birth.  The  son  of  the  freewoman  is 
born  through  promise.  The  birth  of  Isaac  was  just  as 
supernatural  as  any  miracle  can  be.    There  were  no  powers 


THE  TWO  COVENANTS  61 

of  nature  in  either  Abraham  or  Sarah  to  bring  about  the 
birth  of  Isaac.  It  was  supernatural.  Now  that  is  what 
the  scripture  says.  Paul  expounds  that  scripture  in  order 
to  show  that  the  Old  Testament  history  is  itself  prophetic — 
that  it  has  more  than  a  literal,  historical  sense.  It  has  that, 
but  it  has  more.  He  says,  "Which  things  contain  an  alle- 
gory." That  part  of  the  history  of  Genesis,  besides  its  lit- 
eral meaning,  contains  an  allegory.  Here  the  radical  critics 
object  to  what  they  say  is  a  strained  interpretation  that  Paul 
puts  upon  plain  history,  and  they  say  that  he  gets  his  alle- 
gory from  Philo,  an  Alexandrian  Jew,  or  he  follows  the 
rabbis  in  allegorizing  the  history  of  the  Jewish  people.  Did 
Paul  get  the  idea  of  the  allegorical  significance  in  that  his- 
tory from  Philo  the  Jew,  or  from  the  rabbis,  and  if  from 
neither,  where  did  he  get  it?  It  is  true  that  Philo  did 
allegorize,  but  his  allegories  and  Paul's  are  poles  apart  as 
we  see  if  we  put  them  down  and  read  them  together  as  I 
have  done  many  times.  In  the  second  place,  Paul  did  not 
get  the  idea  from  what  the  Rabbis  had  said,  but  he  got  it 
from  the  O.  T.,  and  particularly,  from  the  Book  of  Isaiah. 
The  Book  of  Isaiah  consists  of  two  parts.  Chapters  1-40 
relate  to  one  thing,  and  the  rest  of  it  relates  to  spiritual 
Israel,  and  it  is  called  the  O.  T.  Book  of  Comfort.  And 
whenever  Isaiah,  from  chapter  40  on,  speaks  of  Israel,  he 
is  referring  to  spiritual  Israel.  For  instance,  in  chapter  51 
he  refers  to  Abraham  and  Sarah,  and  then  in  chapter  54  he 
uses  the  language  that  Paul  cites  here  in  the  context,  show- 
ing that  Sarah  occupied  a  representative  and  allegorical 
position  in  his  mind,  and  the  quotation  is  specified  here: 
"Sing,  O  barren,  thou  that  didst  not  bear ;  break  forth  into 
singing,  and  cry  aloud,  thou  that  didst  not  travail  with 
child:  for  more  are  the  children  of  the  desolate  than  the 
children  of  the  married  wife."  That  is  Isaiah's  use  of  it 
in  which  he  is  addressing  Sarah  as  representing  the  mother- 
hood of  spiritual  Israel,  and  she  that  hath  been  barren  is 


6«        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

called  desolate;  because  no  children  have  been  born  to  her, 
she  is  called  more  desolate  than  Hagar.  So  Paul  gets  his 
theory  from  the  inspired  people ;  he  simply  follows  the  his- 
tory when  he  says,  "that  scripture  contains  an  allegory." 

Let  us  now  see  what  the  allegory  contained.  These  women 
are  two  covenants.  As,  in  the  dream  of  Pharaoh,  the  seven 
lean  kine  are  seven  years  of  famine,  Pharaoh  uses  the  verb, 
"are"  in  the  sense  of  "represent,"  i.  e.,  the  seven  lean  kine 
represent  seven  years  of  famine.  And  as  where  our  Savior 
says,  "this  is  my  body,"  that  is,  "this  unleavened  bread  rep- 
resents my  body."  He  is  showing  what  the  allegory  repre- 
sents— that  those  two  women  represent  two  covenants — 
one  from  Mt.  Sinai  bearing  children  into  bondage  which  is 
Hagar.  The  Hagar  woman  represents,  allegorically,  the 
Mt.  Sinai  covenant.  He  goes  on  to  say  in  the  next  verse 
that  Hagar,  that  is,  this  allegorical  Hagar  that  he  is  speak- 
ing about,  is  Mt.  Sinai  in  Arabia  and  answereth  to  the  Jeru- 
salem that  now  is  and  is  in  bondage  with  her  children. 
Sarah  represents  the  Jerusalem,  not  the  Jerusalem  that  now 
is,  but  the  Jerusalem  which  is  above  that  is  our  mother. 
We,  the  children  of  the  f  reewoman,  represent  the  Jerusalem 
which  is  above.  It  is  necessary  to  make  clear  the  meaning 
of  Jerusalem  above  as  contra-distinct  from  the  Jerusalem 
on  earth.  In  Hebrews,  12 :  i8ff.,  distinguishing  between  the 
two  covenants,  the  two  regimes,  this  language  is  used: 
"For  ye  are  not  come  unto  a  mount  that  might  be  touched, 
and  that  burned  with  fire,  and  into  blackness,  and  darkness, 
and  tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  the  voice  of 
words ;  which  voice  they  that  heard  entreated  that  no  wdrd 
more  should  be  spoken  unto  them;  *  *  *  ^nd  so 
fearful  was  the  appearance,  that  Moses  said,  "I  exceedingly 
fear  and  quake."  In  other  words,  "Ye  Christians  are  not 
under  the  Mt.  Sinai  regime,  but  ye  are  come  unto  Mount 
Zion,  *  *  *  the  heavenly  Jerusalem."  That  is  the 
Jerusalem  above,  or  in  the  place  of  "heavenly"  we  may  use 


THE  TWO  COVENANTS  69 

"spiritual."  We  are  not  come  to  the  literal  mountain  in 
Arabia,  nor  are  we  come  to  the  literal  Jerusalem  situated 
over  yonder  in  the  Holy  Land,  but  to  the  spiritual  Jeru- 
salem. How  many  of  our  hymns  are  written  with  that  idea ! 
In  Revelation  that  thought  is  elaborated  about  the  spiritual 
Israel,  the  spiritual  city.  Rev.  3:12:  "He  that  overcometh 
I  will  make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,  and  he 
shall  go  out  hence  no  more,  etc.,"  and  in  the  closing  part 
of  Revelation,  "I  saw  the  New  Jerusalem  come  down  out  of 
heaven."  In  view  of  this,  I  point  out  the  folly  of  the  cru- 
sades, preached  by  Peter  the  Hermit  and  encouraged  by 
subsequent  popes.  The  object  of  the  crusades  was  to  res- 
cue the  Holy  Jerusalem  from  infidels — ^that  Jerusalem  which 
has  lost  its  value.  They  were  to  rescue  the  empty  tomb  of 
Jesus.  The  crusades  did  an  immense  amount  of  good,  but 
there  never  was  a  more  profound  piece  of  folly  than  to 
think  it  was  necessary  to  rescue  the  city  under  the  curse  of 
God,  with  an  empty  tomb  in  it,  as  a  religious  duty. 

We  will  go  on  with  our  allegory :  "For  it  was  written." 
Here  he  quotes  that  passage  in  Isaiah  54,  and  here  is  his 
conclusion  from  the  allegory  in  verse  28:  "Now  we,  breth- 
ren, as  Isaac  was,  are  children  of  promise" — i.  e.,  super- 
naturally  born,  regenerated — "but  as  then  he  that  was  born 
after  the  flesh  [Ishmael]  persecuted  him  that  was  born 
after  the  Spirit,  so  also  it  is  now."  The  Hteral  Jerusalem 
and  the  Judaizing  spirit  will  persecute  the  spiritual  Israel. 
Just  as  Ishmael  did,  so  will  the  Jews  do  now.  Verse  30: 
"Howbeit  what  saith  the  scripture?"  Notice  then  that  the 
scripture  is  again  personified.  The  words,  ta  hiera  gram- 
mata  refer  to  the  whole  collection  of  scriptures;  every 
one  of  those  scriptures  is  God-inspired.  So  Paul  takes  a 
part  of  the  history  in  Genesis  and  says,  "The  scripture 
saith." 

I  am  giving  this  to  show  the  folly  of  the  people  who  say, 
"The  book  contains  the  word  of  God,  but  not  all  of  it  is 


64        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  word  of  God."  Well,  what  did  the  scripture  say  ?  "Cast 
out  the  handmaid  and  her  son :  for  the  son  of  the  handmaid 
shall  not  inherit  with  the  son  of  the  freewoman."  Sarah 
used  these  words  to  Abraham :  "This  bond-slave  child 
should  not  inherit  with  my  child ;  cast  her  out  and  her  son." 
It  grieved  Abraham  until  God  spoke  to  him  and  endorsed 
what  Sarah  said,  God  having  in  mind  not  only  what  was 
best  for  them  at  that  time,  but  having  in  mind  the  allegorical 
meaning  of  those  two  women. 

Here  is  an  important  matter:  The  ablest  debater  that  I 
ever  read  after  was  the  great  Presbyterian,  N.  L.  Rice,  and 
here  let  the  reader  note  just  what  Rice  said  about  the  cove- 
nant and  how  the  covenant  puts  the  infants  in  the  church. 
A  certain  man  was  once  quoting  Rice  to  me  on  that  and  he 
said,  "The  O.  T.  put  the  children  in  with  the  parents,  and 
now  if  it  put  them  in,  how  are  you  going  to  put  them  out?" 
I  said,  "Here  is  the  passage,  'Cast  out  the  bondwoman  and 
her  son.* "  That  casts  the  covenant  out  and  infant  member- 
ship. It  is  true  that  the  children  come  in  in  the  new  cove- 
nant ;  it  is  true  that  we  baptize  every  child  in  the  new  cove- 
nant, but  he  is  a  regenerated  child — a  spiritual  child — and 
nobody  in  the  world  can  answer  that.  And  yet  I  never 
heard  a  Pedo-baptist  make  an  argument  that  he  did  not 
bring  in  the  relation  that  the  children  bore  to  the  old  cove- 
nant, viz. :  that  they  were  in  the  covenant.  That  is  their 
first  and,  indeed,  their  only  respectable  argument. 

A  certain  Baptist  wrote  a  book  with  this  title :  "Baptists 
the  only  Pedo-baptists,"  i.  e.,  the  Baptists  are  the  only  de- 
nomination that  really  baptize  children.  They  baptize  every 
spiritual  child  if  he  is  only  converted,  and  if  his  spiritual 
childhood  is  only  an  hour  old.  The  Baptists  baptize  him, 
and  the  others  don't  do  that ;  they  baptize  the  goats — those 
that  are  not  children.  He  makes  a  very  fine  argument,  and 
if  we  just  understand  him,  he  is  hitting  the  nail  on  the  head. 
The  Baptists  don't  baptize  anything  but  children,  but  they 


THE  TWO  COVENANTS  65 

belong  to  spiritual  Israel,  and  they  often  baptize  them  the 
very  day  they  are  new  bom.    They  don't  wait  eight  days. 

Let  us  now  consider  those  joined  verses  of  chapters  4 
and  5:  "Wherefore,  brethren,  we  are  not  children  of  a 
handmaid,  but  of  the  freewoman.  For  freedom  did  Christ 
set  us  free :  stand  fast  therefore,  and  be  not  entangled  again 
in  a  yoke  of  bondage."  Where  does  Christ  himself  discuss 
that  just  as  Paul  does?  It  is  very  important  to  see  that 
Christ  and  Paul  are  in  agreement  in  that  very  matter.  John 
8:31:  "Jesus  therefore  said  to  those  Jews  that  had  be- 
lieved Him,  if  ye  abide  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  truly  my 
disciples;  and  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall 
make  you  free.  They  answered  unto  Him,  We  are  Abra- 
ham's seed,  and  have  never  yet  been  in  bondage  to  any 
man:  how  sayest  thou.  Ye  shall  be  made  free?  Jesus  an- 
swered them.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Every  one  that 
committeth  sin  is  the  bondservant  of  sin.  And  the  bond- 
servant abideth  not  in  the  house  forever;  the  Son  abideth 
forever.  If  therefore  the  Son  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall 
be  free  indeed.  I  know  that  ye  are  Abraham's  seed  [that 
is,  the  fleshly  seed] ;  yet  ye  seek  to  kill  me,  because  my 
word  hath  not  free  course  in  you."  Verse  39:  "They  an- 
swered and  said  unto  Him,  Our  father  is  Abraham.  Jesus 
sayeth  unto  them,  If  ye  were  Abraham's  children,  ye  would 
do  the  works  of  Abraham.  But  now  ye  seek  to  kill  me,  a 
man  that  hath  told  you  the  truth,  which  I  heard  from  God ; 
this  did  not  Abraham.  Ye  do  the  works  of  your  father. 
They  said  unto  Him,  We  were  not  born  of  fornication ;  we 
have  one  Father,  even  God."  Verse  44:  "Ye  are  of  your 
father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  it  is  your 
will  to  do."  Paul  says,  "For  freedom  did  Christ  set  us 
free."  I  am  showing  that  Christ  taught  precisely  on  the 
line  that  Paul  did  here  in  this  letter  to  the  Galatians. 

I  now  commence  chapter  5  at  verse  2.  This  paragraph 
consists  of  the  following  thoughts   (from  the  2nd  verse 


«6       GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

to  the  6th  he  discusses  circumcision)  :  First,  he  says,  "If 
you  insist  on  circumcision,  Christ  will  profit  you  nothing. 
Second,  if  you  insist  on  being  circumcised,  then  you  are  a 
debtor  to  do  the  whole  law.  Third,  if  you  insist  on  being 
circumcised  and  being  a  Jew  in  order  to  salvation,  then  you 
are  severed  from  Christ;  you  are  fallen  away  from  grace." 

A  man  once  said  to  me,  "Does  the  Bible  teach  falling  from 
grace?"  I  said,  "Yes."  "Well,"  he  says,  "I  thought  you 
didn't  believe  in  apostasy."  I  said,  "I  don't ;  we  mean  by 
apostasy,  (i)  that  a  man  has  to  be  regenerated  and  (2), 
that  this  regenerated  man  is  finally  lost.  This  falling  from 
grace  here  does  not  mean  that ;  it  simply  means  that  a  man 
who  will  turn  from  salvation  by  grace  to  being  a  Jew  in 
order  to  be  saved,  that  that  man  is  fallen  from  grace.  The 
Bible  does  teach  that  he  severs  himself  from  Christ." 

The  next  thought  presented  here  is  that  "Christians 
through  the  Spirit  by  faith  wait  for  the  hope  of  righteous- 
ness." What  is  the  hope  of  righteousness  for  which  the 
Christian  waits?  He  is  speaking  of  the  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  and  that  doctrine  by  faith  had  a  certain  hope 
in  it.  And  what  is  the  hope  ?  The  hope  includes  everything 
that  is  involved  in  the  final  coming  of  the  Lord  to  give  the 
crowning  glories  to  those  that  are  justified  by  faith ;  it  has 
a  hope  that  refers  to  the  future.  That  hope  is,  If  m> 
name  is  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  it  not  only 
stands  secure,  but  it  will  bring  everything  else  that  it  has 
promised,  as  "whom  He  justified,  them  He  also  glorified." 

The  next  thought  is,  that  "in  Christ  neither  circumcision 
nor  uncircumcision  availeth  anything."  We  don't  get  into 
Christ  because  we  are  circumcised,  and  we  don't  get  into 
Christ  because  we  are  not  circumcised.  We  get  in  on  an  en- 
tirely different  term,  as  the  next  thought  shows,  "faith 
working  by  love."  The  Roman  Catholics  teach  certain  doc- 
trines based  on  this  verse,  "Faith  worketh  by  love,"  that  is, 
they  say  that  "worketh"  should  be  translated  "wrought." 


THE  TWO  COVENANTS  67 

.Therefore,  the  Catholics  have  a  doctrine  that  they  call  fides 
caritate  formosa,  "Faith  made  by  love,"  that  is  their  spe- 
cial doctrine  based  on  that  verse.  But  the  verb  is  not  in  the 
passive  voice.  It  isn't  "being  worked ;"  it  is  the  doing,  the 
working.  And  this  leads  me  to  another  observation  that 
when  Paul  talks  about  faith  working  by  love  he  bridges  an 
apparent  chasm  between  him  and  James.  James,  in  his 
letter,  says  that  the  faith  that  is  apart  from  energy,  or  work, 
is  dead.  Paul  says  that  the  faith  that  justifies  is  the  faith 
with  energy ;  it  works  by  love.  As  that  passage  bridges  the 
apparent  chasm,  there  is  no  discrepancy  between  Paul  and 
James.  Practically  the  argument  closes  here,  but  he  brings 
up  some  argument  later. 

The  next  paragraph  commences  at  verse  7  and  ends  at 
13:  "Ye  were  running  well;  who  hindered  you?"  Let  us 
consider  that  as  it  is  in  the  Greek ;  the  idea  is  that  of  a  foot- 
race. The  foot-race  is  along  a  prescribed  or  prepared  track. 
Here  is  a  man  running  on  that  prepared  track,  and  suddenly 
he  comes  to  a  place  where  the  track  is  all  broken  up.  The 
word  "hindered"  means  "a  broken-up  track."  "You  were 
running  well?  Who  broke  up  the  track?  He  who  started 
you  would  not  break  up  the  track  ahead  of  you;  if  that 
track  is  broken  up,  the  enemy  did  it." 

The  next  thought  in  this  paragraph  is  that  they  seemed 
to  have  said  that  if  they  had  gone  astray  it  was  a  small 
matter,  and  he  is  answering  that  when  he  said,  "A  little 
leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump."  "You  think  the  wedge 
is  little,  but  that  wedge  will  split  the  whole  log.  It  is  a 
vital  and  fundamental  thing." 

The  next  thought  is  the  distinction  which  Paul  makes 
between  the  Galatians  and  the  one  that  side-tracked  them. 
He  says,  "Now,  brethren,  I  am  confident  that  you  will  come 
to  my  way  of  thinking  about  this.  I  don't  think  that  about 
the  one  that  is  misleading  you."  There  he  mentions  them 
in  the  singular  for  the  first  time.    "Whoever  broke  up  that 


68        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

road  will  have  to  bear  his  penalty  and  will  have  to  pay  the 
penalty  of  what  he  has  done." 

The  next  thought  is  that  he  seems  to  reply  again  to  an 
accusation  that  they  had  made  saying,  "Why  does  he  object 
to  our  views  of  circumcision?  I  am  told  that  he  circum- 
cised Timothy  and  preached  circumcision  himself."  He  an- 
swers that:  "If  indeed  I  preached  circumcision  as  you  are 
preaching  it,  *.  e.,  if  I  am  on  a  line  with  them,  why  am  I 
persecuted?"  Then  he  said,  "If  I  presented  it  to  you  as 
they  do  I  would  take  away  the  stumbling  block  of  the  cross 
and  there  would  be  no  issue  between  me  and  these  men  who 
are  misleading  you."  "The  Jews  find  the  cross  a  stumbling 
block,"  says  Paul  in  his  Letter  to  the  Corinthians.  He  says 
here,  "I  would  that  they  that  unsettle  you  would  even  go 
beyond  circumcision."  What  does  he  mean  by  that?  The 
thought  is  this :  "You  are  insisting  upon  the  physical  mutila- 
tion of  the  body ;  now  why  not  go  to  the  whole  length  like 
the  idolators  that  were  among  you  ?"  They  mutilated  them- 
selves, cut  their  bodies  with  knives.  "If  you  are  going  to 
insist  on  this  use  of  the  knife,  why  not  take  it  to  that  ex- 
treme?" 

QUESTIONS 

I.  What  does  the  law  of  4:21  say,  where  is  it  found,  and  what 
bearing  has  this  on  the  meaning  of  the  word,  "law,"  as  used  in  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments  ? 

2.  Explain  the  allegory  in  4 :  21 — 5 :  i  from  these  standpoints : 
(i)  Where  did  Paul  get  the  idea  of  this  allegory,  and  what  the 
evidence?  (2)  Ishmael  and  Isaac.  (3)  Hagar  and  Sarah.  (4) 
Jerusalem  that  now  is  and  the  Jerusalem  above.  (5)  Show  the  par- 
allel in  the  two  covenants.  (6)  Give  the  distinctions  as  expressed  in 
Hebrews.  (7)  What  the  folly  of  the  crusades?  (8)  What  the  atti- 
tude of  the  children  of  the  flesh  toward  the  children  of  the  Spirit? 
(9)  What  argument  is  sometimes  made  for  infant  church-member- 
ship, and  what  the  answer?  (10)  Then  who  the  children  of  the 
handmaid  and  who  the  children  of  the  free  woman? 

3.  What  the  exhortation  based  upon  this  allegory,  and  where 
does  Christ  discuss  this  same  idea?  . 

4.  What  four  things  does  Paul  show  are  the  result  of  their 
insistence  on  being  circumcised  ?  Explain  particularly  the  last  clause 
of  5:4^ 


THE  TWO  COVENANTS  69 

5.  What  is  the  hope  of  righteousness  for  which  the  Christian 
waits  ? 

6.  Expound  "but  faith  working  through  love."  What  the  Catho- 
lic interpretation  of  it,  and  how  does  the  true  interpretation  bridge 
the  apparent  chasm  between  Paul  and  James? 

7.  Explain  verse  7 :  "Ye  were  running  well ;  who  hindered  you, 
etc.?" 

8.  What  is  the  force  of  "a  little  leaven  leaveneth  the  whole 
lump?" 

9.  What  distinction  does  Paul  make  between  the  Galatians  and 
the  one  who  side-tracked  them? 

10.  What  accusation  does  Paul  seem  to  reply  to  in  5:11,  what 
the  stumbling  block  of  the  cross,  and  what  does  he  mean  by  "beyond 
circumcision"  in  verse  12? 


VII 

SPECIAL  WARNINGS  AND  TEACHINGS 

Scripture:  Gal.  5  :  13 — 6:  18 

THIS  discussion  commences  with  5 :  13.  Throughout 
the  rest  of  this  chapter  there  are  warnings  against 
false  conclusions  from  the  doctrines  of  justification 
by  faith  apart  from  works.  The  first  warning  is  that  our 
liberty  is  not  to  be  construed  or  used  as  a  license  to  do 
any  kind  of  evil.  The  liberty  referred  to  is  freedom  from 
the  law,  which  does  not  mean  freedom  from  the  law  as  a 
standard,  but  it  is  freedom  from  the  law  as  a  way  of  life. 
This  same  subject  comes  up  again  for  discussion  in  the 
Letter  to  the  Romans  where  Paul  avows  that  he  has  liberty 
to  eat  meat  offered  to  idols  since  these  idols  are  no  gods  to 
him ;  that  personally  it  would  not  hurt  him,  but  he  said  that 
he  would  refrain  from  it  if  it  was  harmful  to  other  people. 
One  of  the  most  infamous  propositions  ever  made  was 
that  made  by  a  Baptist  preacher  who  said  that  when  a  man 
and  a  woman  were  engaged  they  could  commit  a  sin  for 
which  they  would  not  be  held  responsible.  This  is  exactly 
what  Paul  warns  against:  "Ye  were  called  for  freedom; 
only  use  not  your  freedom  for  an  occasion  to  the  flesh." 
The  Arminians  and  Romanists  unite  in  denying  the  doctrine 
of  salvation  by  grace  through  faith  and  not  of  works,  be- 
cause they  say  it  is  demoralizing  in  its  tendencies;  that  a 
man  will  draw  false  conclusions  from  it ;  that  he  will  use  the 
liberty  wherewith  Christ  made  him  free  as  a  license  to  do 
evil.  Just  at  this  point  Paul  raises  his  first  warning  cry  in 
the  Letter  to  the  Romans.  He  puts  it  in  the  form  of  an 
answer  to  a  supposititious  question.    He  had  affirmed  that 

71 


7a       GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

grace  abounded  above  sin,  then  the  questioner  says,  "Shall 
we  sin  the  more  that  grace  may  abound  still  more?  And 
in  reply  to  that  he  said,  "God  forbid,"  or  as  he  very  strongly 
presented  it  in  the  Letter  to  Titus  (2 :  12;  3 : 4-8). 

I  once  heard  an  Antinomian  (that  means,  anti,  "against," 
nofna,  "the  law" — against  the  law)  preach.  He  was  one 
who  beHeved  that  a  Christian  is  free  from  all  law — that 
he  is  not  even  under  the  law  to  Christ.  I  had  to  follow  him 
that  afternoon.  He  took  as  a  text  Titus  3:4-7:  "But  when 
the  kindness  of  God  our  Savior,  and  His  love  toward  man, 
appeared,  not  by  works  done  in  righteousness,  which  we  did 
ourselves,  but  according  to  His  mercy  He  saved  us,  through 
the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  He  poured  out  upon  us  richly,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Savior;  that,  being  justified  by  His  grace,  we 
might  be  made  heirs  according  to  the  hope  of  eternal  life." 
His  theme  was  the  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  salvation. 
That  afternoon  I  took  my  text  from  Titus  2:11,  12: 
"For  the  grace  of  God  hath  appeared,  bringing  salvation  to 
all  men,  instructing  us,  to  the  intent  that,  denying  godliness 
and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly  and  righteously 
and  godly  in  this  present  world."  He  presented  the  grace 
of  God,  but  he  presented  a  conclusion  that  the  grace  of 
God  does  not  teach.  I  showed  that  that  very  grace  of  God 
that  he  commended  so  highly  taught  that  right  here  in  this 
present  evil  world  we  should  live  soberly  and  righteously 
and  godly.  He  stopped  at  verse  7,  and  I  read  on  a  little: 
"Faithful  is  the  saying,  and  concerning  these  things  I  desire 
that  thou  affirm  confidently,  to  the  end  that  they  who  have 
believed  God  may  be  careful  to  maintain  good  works."  So 
I  preceded  his  text  with  Titus  2:  iifif.,  and  followed  it  with 
the  next  verse  and  caught  him  between  the  upper  and  nether 
millstones  and  ground  him  to  powder.  Finding  that  he  was 
irreformable,  I  never  did  rest  satisfied  until  that  Baptist 
preacher  was  out  of  the  ministry. 


WARNINGS  AND  TEACHINGS  73 

I  would  not  make  the  impression  for  one  moment  that 
we  are  not  saved  by  grace  through  faith  and  that  not  of 
ourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  our  works  must  not  be 
associated  with  grace  in  order  to  our  justification  in  God's 
sight,  but  I  would  teach  that  this  doctrine  of  salvation  by 
faith  has  this  end  in  view,  that  the  justified  man  should  per- 
form good  works ;  that  we  are  created  unto  good  works.  So 
those  are  the  first  warnings.  I  might  select  another  scrip- 
ture :  "If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creation."  There 
was  an  old  man  that  he  derived  through  Adam.  In  Christ 
there  was  a  new  man.  Having  shown  that  by  the  creative 
power  of  God's  Spirit,  we  pass  from  the  old  man  to  the 
new  man,  he  immediately  adds,  "put  on  therefore  the  new 
man  in  righteousness  and  holiness."  It  is  easy  to  see  as  a 
conclusion  from  this  salvation  by  grace,  that  we  should 
render  loving  service  to  each  other.  We  are  children  of 
God  by  faith.  What  then?  Shall  we  fight?  Shall  we 
devour  each  other,  or  shall  we  render  to  each  other  the 
service  of  love?  That  Galatian  church  was  as  much  noted 
for  fighting  each  other  as  the  Irishmen  at  a  wake  are  said 
to  be — a  regular  "killkenny  cat"  fight.  Paul  says  that  that 
is  a  false  deduction  from  the  doctrine  he  had  been  teaching. 
While  on  that  point  he  used  this  expression,  "The  whole 
law  is  fulfilled  in  one  word,  even  in  this :  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  What  is  meant  there  by  "ful- 
filled?" Does  it  mean  that  if  I  love  my  neighbor  that  I 
have  obeyed  the  commandment,  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart?"  If  it  doesn't  mean  that,  what 
does  it  mean  ?  The  whole  law  is  filled  up,  filled  full  in  this, 
"Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,"  that  is,  this  is 
the  last  part  of  the  summary  that  Moses  gives.  The  first 
part  is,  "Love  the  Lord  thy  God,  etc.,"  that  is,  we  fill  it 
full  if  we  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves.  It  is  the  common- 
est thing  to  hear  people  that  want  to  evade  duty  to  God 
say  that  religion  consists  of  being  honest,  paying  our  debts, 


74        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

etc.  But  that  is  not  the  sense  of  this  "fulfill."  It  com- 
pletes, fills  full  the  other  half  of  it  that  had  been  filled  be- 
fore. For  instance,  if  it  takes  four  pecks  to  make  a  bushel, 
the  fourth  peck  fills  the  measure,  if  the  other  three  have 
been  put  in.  There  is  a  remarkable  passage  misinterpreted 
by  Alexander  Campbell,  viz.:  I  Timothy  1:5  (King  James 
Version)  :  "But  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  love  out 
of  a  pure  heart  and  a  good  conscience  and  faith  unfeigned." 
What  is  meant  by  "the  end  of  the  commandment?"  When 
we  say  the  end  we  are  not  denying  that  there  is  a  begin- 
ning. The  end  of  a  commandment  is  love  out  of  a  pure 
heart,  out  of  a  good  conscience,  out  of  faith  unfeigned. 
There  we  get  the  other  element  that  shows  the  idea  of  filling 
up,  filling  full.  The  love  that  the  outsider  talks  about  is 
unknown  in  the  Bible.  Here  it  is — a  love  that  springs  from 
faith;  faith  brings  a  good  conscience  and  that  good  con- 
science leads  to  a  pure  heart  and  a  pure  heart  leads  to  love. 
So  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  love  out  of  a  pure  heart, 
out  of  a  good  conscience,  out  of  faith  unfeigned. 

The  third  warning  that  he  gives  is  that  being  justified  by 
faith  our  walk  must  be  in  the  Spirit  not  in  the  flesh.  We 
are  not  justified  by  faith  if  we  walk  after  what  is  fleshly 
and  not  the  spiritual,  and  if  we  have  drawn  from  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  faith  any  such  conclusion  as  that, 
then  we  have  misinterpreted  the  doctrine. 

He  presents  two  kinds  of  fruit,  as  follows:  "Walk  in 
the  Spirit  but  not  in  the  flesh."  What  is  it  to  walk  in 
the  Spirit  ?  "The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  kindness,  goodness,  faithfulness,  meekness,  self- 
control;  against  such  there  is  no  law."  What  is  the  fruit 
of  the  flesh?  "The  works  of  the  flesh  are  manifest,  which 
are  these :  fornication,  uncleanness,  lasciviousness,  idolatry, 
sorcery,  enmities,  strife,  jealousies,  wraths,  factions,  divi- 
sions, parties,  envyings,  drunkenness,  revelings,  and  such 
like."    And  to  cap  the  climax  he  says  that  the  man  that  does 


WARNINGS  AND  TEACHINGS  75 

these  things  shall  never  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  He 
is  saying  to  them,  "You  must  not  make  the  mistake  that 
by  mere  intellectual  perception  of  doctrinal  truth  you  have 
therefore  exercised  the  faith  of  the  gospel." 

We  may  put  it  down  as  settled  that  no  religion  is  worth 
a  cent  that  does  not  make  a  man  better  than  he  was  before; 
a  son  a  better  son,  a  father  a  better  father,  a  mother  a  bet- 
ter mother,  a  daughter  a  better  daughter. 

If  it  doesn't  produce  good  fruits,  John  the  Baptist  tells 
us  that  "every  tree  that  bringeth  forth  not  good  fruit  shall 
be  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire." 

We  now  come  to  chapter  6,  which  is  divided  into  two 
paragraphs.  The  first  paragraph  is  the  first  ten  verses,  and 
presents  a  case  of  discipline,  or  a  case  where  the  man, 
though  a  Christian,  has  committed  an  offense:  "Brethren, 
even  if  a  man  be  overtaken  in  any  trespass,  ye  who  are 
spiritual,  restore  such  a  one  in  a  spirit  of  gentleness ;  look- 
ing to  thyself,  lest  thou  also  be  tempted."  We  must  not 
draw  the  conclusion  that  because  Paul  said  just  before,  "I 
forewarn  you  that  they  that  practice  these  things  shall  not 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,"  he  means  that  to  step  aside 
once  is  fatal.  As  proof  that  he  doesn't  mean  that,  he  sup- 
poses a  case  of  a  man  that  has  been  overtaken  by  a  fault. 

I  was  at  a  church  conference  once  and  three  cases  were 
presented,  all  of  which  claimed  to  be  cases  "overtaken  in 
a  fault."  They  asked  my  opinion  and  I  said,  "Brethren, 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  being  overtaken  by  a  fault,  and  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  a  man  overtaking  a  fault ;  when  he  sees 
it  plainly  and  follows  it  until  he  overtakes  it  then  he  is  not 
overtaken  in  a  fault.  One  of  your  cases  is  a  case  of  'over- 
taken by  a  fault,'  another  case  the  fellow  overtakes  the  fault, 
and  your  third  case  is  a  mixture.  It  reminds  me  of  a  Mc- 
Clelland saddle.  We  don't  know  when  we  see  it  whether 
we  are  meeting  it  or  overtaking  it.  It  is  the  same  in  the  rear 
as  in  the  front." 


76       GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

The  second  thing  is  to  harmonize  veree  2  with  verse  5: 
"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and  so  fulfill  the  law  of 
Christ  *  *  *  For  each  man  shall  bear  his  own  burden." 
Is  there  any  contradiction  in  the  meaning?  One  case  is 
evidently  different  in  the  meaning  from  the  other  case. 
What  is  the  difference  in  the  meaning  ? 

The  third  point  that  he  presents  is  this — verse  6:  "But 
let  him  that  is  taught  in  the  word  communicate  unto  him 
that  teacheth  in  "all  good  things."  Or  I  will  put  it  in  plainer 
language:  "Let  the  church  member  who  is  spiritually  in- 
structed contribute  in  money  or  kindness,  to  the  one  that 
instructs  him."  There  are  some  people  who  are  so  afraid 
of  being  misunderstood — that  what  they  preach  will  be 
assigned  to  a  motive  that  they  do  not  have,  they  leave  it  out 
of  their  preaching. 

I  heard  a  man  say  once,  "I  just  simply  can't  preach  on 
the  money  question ;  I  will  be  misunderstood.  If  the  breth- 
ren want  to  help  me  they  can  do  it;  if  they  don't  want  to 
help  me,  then  it  can  go."  Paul  was  just  as  sensitive  a  man 
as  we  are,  and  he  knew  that  they  that  preached  the  gospel 
should  live  of  the  gospel.  One  of  the  principal  things  that 
the  Galatians  were  trying  to  do  was  to  stop  this  collection. 
He  says,  "See  that  ye  abound  in  that  grace  as  well  as  those 
other  graces."  I  have  seen  Christians  that  could  shout,  "Fly 
abroad,  thou  mighty  gospel,"  and  when  the  contribution 
box  was  passed  around  they  shut  their  eyes  for  fear  they 
would  see  the  wings  with  which  it  is  to  fly. 

A  man  is  sent  with  a  message  for  God  and  the  responsi- 
bility on  him  is  not  to  vary  one  jot  or  tittle  on  that  message. 
He  ought  to  be  able,  as  Paul  said  he  was,  to  be  free  from 
the  blood  of  all  men  because  he  had  not  shunned  to  declare 
the  whole  counsel  oj  God. 

They  accused  him  of  manipulating  a  big  collection ;  while 
he  did  not  do  it  himself,  they  said  he  did  it  through  Titus. 
He  knew  these  questions  would  arise,  because  those  who  are 


WARNINGS  AND  TEACHINGS  77 

evil-minded  do  suspect.  They  would  suspect  the  Lord  or 
the  angels  from  heaven. 

JVe  cannot  evade  being  suspected  of  evil.  We  are  to  take 
pains  to  live  right,  and  so  live  that  we  may  appear  to  live 
right,  hut  that  will  not  exempt  us  from  being  criticised. 

I  have  oftentimes  wondered  at  the  goodness  of  this  man, 
that  he  could  say  upon  that  subject  what  he  did  concerning 
the  crowd  that  hated  him,  even  the  church  at  Ephesus.  See 
I  Tim.  6:17:  "Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this  present 
world,  that  they  be  not  high-minded  nor  have  their  hope 
set  on  the  uncertainty  of  riches,  but  on  God,  who  giveth 
us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy."  And  he  charges  them,  "that 
they  be  ready  to  distribute,  that  they  be  willing  to  con- 
tribute." It  took  pluck  to  preach  that  to  these  people,  for 
they  were  high-minded,  because  they  were  rich,  but  he  was 
to  present  that  to  them  as  if  putting  them  on  their  oath: 
"O  rich  man,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  I  put  you  on  your  oath 
before  God,  be  not  high-minded  but  rich  in  good  works  as 
well  as  in  money.  Be  ready  to  distribute  as  well  as  to  make 
the  money."    Plucky  man ! 

The  next  thought  is  in  verses  7  and  8 :  "Be  not  deceived." 
A  point  upon  which  we  might  be  deceived  is  what  follows 
that  doctrine.  "Be  not  deceived ;  God  is  not  mocked."  He 
is  not  fooled.  "For  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he 
also  reap."  We  can't  reverse  the  natural  law,  and  we  can't 
reverse  the  spiritual  law.  In  both  the  spiritual  and  the  nat- 
ural realm  there  is  a  crop  between  the  sowing  and  the  har- 
vest. If  we  sow  weeds  we  cannot  look  for  a  barley  crop. 
The  crop  is  going  to  be  according  to  the  seed  that  we  put 
in  the  ground,  and  let  us  not  be  deceived;  we  can't  fool 
God.  He  applies  that :  "He  that  soweth  unto  his  own  flesh 
shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption ;  he  that  soweth  unto  the 
Spirit  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  eternal  life."  The  harvest 
is  going  to  correspond  with  what  we  sow. 

He  advances  to  another  thought  of  incalculable  impor- 


78       GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

tance.  We  are  justified  by  faith,  and  in  view  of  that  justifi- 
cation by  the  grace  of  God  which  teaches  us  not  only  to  live 
soberly  and  righteously  and  godly  in  this  present  world,  but 
also  to  do  well,  he  exhorts :  "Be  not  weary  in  well-doing, 
for  in  due  season  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not." 

I  remember  once  preaching  from  that  text  on  an  impor- 
tant occasion.  We  had  just  had  a  great  meeting;  hundreds 
of  people  had  sturdily  commenced  to  do  right  from  a  mo- 
tive of  love  to  God.  Then  they  began  to  drop  off;  they 
got  tired.    "Let  us  not  weary  in  well-doing." 

It  is  that  great  persistence  that  wins,  notwithstanding  that 
it  is  an  up-hill  path ;  notwithstanding  that  we  have  wind  and 
tide  against  us.  Anybody  can  float  down  stream ;  a  dead  fish 
can  do  that,  but  it  takes  a  live  fish  to  go  up  stream.  "Let 
us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing."  He  gives  the  reasons :  first, 
we  shall  reap;  second,  we  shall  reap  in  due  season.  We 
may  not  reap  tomorrow,  or  next  week  or  next  year,  but  at 
the  appointed  season  (and  every  seed  has  its  season),  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap. 

Having  expounded  that  section  I  associate  it  with  I  Cor. 
15:58:  "Wherefore,  my  beloved  brethren,  be  ye  steadfast, 
unmovable,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  for- 
asmuch as  ye  know  that  your  labor  is  not  vain  in  the  Lord." 
Then  with  that  I  put  the  Psalm  which  says,  "They  that  sow 
in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy.  He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth 
bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  re- 
joicing, bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  I  comment  on  that 
passage  in  Psalms.  First,  there  is  activity;  the  people  go 
forth;  we  must  venture  out.  Second,  they  went  bearing 
precious  seed ;  we  must  go  out  with  the  Word  of  God,  which 
is  the  seed — "he  that  goeth  forth  bearing  precious  seed  and 
weeping,"  We  must  go  in  earnest.  Some  people  think  tears 
are  unmanly,  and  some  tears  are,  but  not  all.    "Jesus  wept." 

"Did  Christ  o'er  sinner  weep, 
And  shall  our  cheeks  be  dry?" 


WARNINGS  AND  TEACHINGS  79 

It  was  one  of  the  most  glorious  testimonies  of  Henry  of 
Navarre  by  Macaulay: 

"He  looked  upon  the  f oeman  and  his  glance  was  stern  and  high ; 
He  looked  upon  his  comrades  and  a  tear  was  in  his  eye." 

That  is  his  exhortation  against  weariness  in  well-doing, 
because  the  labor  is  not  in  vain.  We  may  fail  in  other 
things,  but  if  we  take  the  gospel,  if  we  take  it  earnestly,  if 
we  sow  in  tears,  the  heavens  may  fall,  but  our  harvest  will 
come  without  a  shadow  of  a  doubt.  "Doubtless  he  shall 
return,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  It  is  that  harvest- 
home,  when  the  laborer  comes  bringing  his  sheaves  with 
him,  to  which  the  mind  of  the  preacher  should  be  often 
turned, 

Paul  says  to  the  Thessalonians,  "Ye  are  my  crown  of  re- 
joicing in  the  time  of  Jesus  Christ" — "bringing  his  sheaves 
with  him."  not  coming  up  to  heaven  empty-handed.  Com- 
ing up  he  says,  "Lord,  this  man  in  yonder  world  I  led 
to  thee;  Lord,  this  broken  heart  I  healed;  Lord,  this 
orphan  I  comforted,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him." 
His  association  with  him  of  every  rightful  tear  that 
is  shed,  every  good  deed  that  he  has  accomplished,  is 
one  of  the  most  precious  things  in  connection  with  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ.  Then  he  says,  "As  we  have  oppor- 
tunity, let  us  work  that  which  is  good  toward  all  men,  and 
especially  toward  them  that  are  of  the  household  of  the 
faith."  "As  we  have  opportunity."  Opportunity!  Dr. 
Richard  Fuller,  in  a  great  sermon  before  the  Southern  Bap- 
tist Convention,  gave  a  picture  of  opportunity  as  with  swift 
wing,  no  bird  of  the  air  flying  so  fast,  passing  by  and  never 
coming  back.  "Wherefore  as  we  have  opportunity"  means 
that  we  must  be  wide-awake. 

We  come  now  to  the  last  paragraph,  and  what  is  the 
meaning  of  it?  "See  with  how  large  letters  I  write  unto  you 
with  mine  own  hand."    The  King  James  version  says,  "You 


80        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

see  how  large  a  letter  I  have  written,  etc."  Galatians  isn't 
a  big  letter,  but  what  Paul  says  is,  "See  with  how  large  let- 
ters I  write  you  with  mine  own  hand," 

I  have  been  very  much  amused  in  contrasting  the  views 
of  Farrar  and  Lightfoot.  Generally,  Lightfoot  is  much 
better  than  Farrar,  but  Farrar  gets  the  best  of  him  on  the 
meaning  of  that  passage.  Lightfoot  says  the  meaning  is, 
"I  am  writing  to  you  about  weighty  matters,  and  I  wrote 
you  a  great  big  letter."  He  had  to  force  that  into  it.  It 
isn't  there.  Paul's  acute  eye  trouble  is  evident  from  a  previ- 
ous expression.  He  says,  "You  would  have  taken  your  eyes 
and  given  them  to  me,  if  you  could."  He  was  writing  with 
his  own  hand,  and  a  man  that  is  nearly  blind  has  to  make 
big  sprawling  letters,  and  there  is  a  touching  thought  in  it. 
"Do  you  remember  why  I  have  to  write  with  large  letters? 
Don't  you  remember  when  I  was  groping  in  my  blindness, 
and  your  sympathy  was  so  tender  you  would  have  given  me 
your  eyes  ?  Now  you  see  with  what  large  letters  I  am  writ- 
ing." I  think  Farrar's  explanation  much  more  reasonable. 
Quickly  Paul  takes  up  his  argument!  He  would  take  up 
an  argument  in  the  midst  of  his  "amen"  if  he  thought  of 
something  that  he  should  have  said  that  he  had  not  said. 
He  is  giving  a  contrast  between  himself  and  these  that  insist 
on  being  circumcised.  He  says,  (i)  that  they  do  this  to 
avoid  Jewish  persecution,  (2)  that  they  do  it  that  they  may 
glory  in  the  flesh,  and  (3)  that  they  don't  do  it  from  love  of 
the  law,  for  they  know  that  they  don't  keep  the  law ;  that 
circumcision  obhgates  one  to  keep  the  whole  law. 

Then  he  represents  his  glory  in  contrast  with  theirs  :  "But 
far  be  it  from  me  to  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  through  which  the  world  hath  been  crucified 
unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world.  For  neither  is  circumcision 
anything  nor  uncircumcision."  Then  he  adds,  that  they 
should  so  walk  according  to  this  canon  (canon  means  rule) 
and  as  they  should  walk  by  this  rule,  circumcision  or  un- 


WARNINGS  AND  TEACHINGS  81 

circumcision  would  avail  nothing,  but  a  new  creature,  every- 
thing. 

"Henceforth  [that  is,  having  presented  this  attack  on  me 
in  II  Corinthians,  and  in  Galatians,  and  having  made  this 
reply]  let  no  man  trouble  me,"  as  if  to  say,  "I  don't  want 
to  go  into  this  matter  any  more."  "Now  why  ought  not  ye 
trouble  me?"  "Because,"  he  says,  "I  bear  branded  on  my 
body  the  marks  of  Jesus."  In  other  words,  "I  am  covered 
all  over  with  scars ;  the  Roman  lictors  have  smitten  me  with 
rods ;  the  Jews  have  scourged  me  and  left  me  for  dead ;  once 
I  fought  with  wild  beasts  in  the  arena,  and  I  count  these 
marks  of  Jesus  as  Christ's  brand  of  ownership."  It  is  a  very 
beautiful  thought. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  warning  does  Paul  give  against  false  conclusions  from 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith? 

2.  What  is  antinomianism  ? 

3.  Give  several  scriptures  which  disprove  it. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  "fulfilled"  in  "The  law  is  fulfilled  in  'Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself  ?' " 

5.  Explain  "end  of  the  commandment"  in  "The  end  of  the 
commandment  is  love." 

6.  Contrast  the  fruits  of  the  flesh  and  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 

7.  Explain  "overtaken  in  a  fault." 

8.  Harmonize  "Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens"  and  "Each  man 
shall  bear  his  own  burden." 

9.  What  the  teaching  here  on  ministerial  support? 

10.  Give  the  law  of  sowing  and  reaping. 

11.  Take  Gal.  6:9,  I  Cor.  15:58  and  Psalms  126:5,6  and  give  a 
brief  outline  of  an  evangelistic  address. 

12.  What  is  opportunity?    Illustrate  it. 

13.  What  is  the  meaning  of  "large  letters"  in  6:  ii? 

14.  Give  three  reasons  for  circumcision  on  the  part  of  those  who 
were  troubling  the  Galatians. 

15.  Contrast  Paul's  glory  with  theirs. 

16.  What  the  meaning  of  "henceforth  let  no  man  trouble  me?" 


THE  BOOK  OF  ROMANS 

VIII 
INTRODUCTION 

THE  prophet  Daniel  gives  a  forecast  of  the  rise  of  five 
consecutive,  great  world-empires:  Babylonian,  Per- 
sian, Greek,  Roman  and  the  kingdom  of  God  as  set 
up  by  our  Lord.  He  shows  how  the  people  of  Israel  came 
in  touch  with  each  empire  in  turn.  In  this  discussion  we 
need  to  trace  out,  in  historical  order,  the  salient  points  of 
contact  between  Israel  and  Rome,  Daniel's  fourth  world- 
empire.  The  first  notable  contact  was  when  the  Jews  were 
resisting  the  aggressions  of  the  Seleucids  who,  with  Antioch 
in  Syria  as  a  capital  and  the  head  of  one  of  the  four  divi- 
sions of  Alexander's  Greek  empire,  and  who  in  contending 
with  the  Ptolemys  of  Egypt,  another  division  of  the  Greek 
empire,  conceived  it  necessary  to  occupy  the  intervening 
Holy  Land.  Their  aggression  culminated  in  the  attempt  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes  to  destroy  the  Jewish  religion.  The 
apocryphal  book  of  Maccabees  and  Josephus  give  a  vivid 
history  of  this  conflict.  It  was  in  this  struggle  between  these 
parts  of  the  divided  Greek  empire  that  Rome,  rapidly  rising 
to  supreme  power,  intervened  and  became  a  staunch  friend 
to  the  Jews,  crushed  between  the  two.  The  Romans  for  a 
long  time  were  faithful  to  all  treaty  obligations  toward  the 
Jews,  but  as  the  Jews  developed  internal  parties  among 
themselves,  one  or  the  other,  from  time  to  time,  would  ap- 
peal to  Rome.  In  this  way  Rome  became  the  umpire  of 
Jewish  contentions,  and  finally  the  master.  The  whole 
Herodian  dynasty  were  dependents  of  Rome. 


84        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

About  B.  C.  70  Pompey  captured  Jerusalem  and  led  away 
to  Rome  multitudes  of  Jewish  captives  who,  though  en- 
slaved, were  usually  kindly  treated,  and  many  of  them  who 
were  set  free  became  Roman  citizens.  Probably  in  this  way 
Paul's  father  became  a  Roman  citizen,  so  that  Paul  himself 
was  a  citizen  free-born.  In  the  development  of  the  history, 
a  vast  number  of  Jews  were  settled  in  Rome,  having  a  spe- 
cial Jewish  quarter  in  the  city  beyond  the  Tiber.  The 
Roman  classics  abound  with  references  to  the  Jews  at 
Rome:  Tacitus,  Suetonius,  Martial,  Juvenal,  Horace,  Per- 
sius,  Cicero  and  others.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  8,000  Jews 
at  Rome  protested  against  Archelaus  being  allowed  to  have 
all  the  dominion  of  his  father  Herod.  This  led  to  a  division 
of  Herod's  kingdom  into  four  parts;  hence  the  name  te- 
trarch,  the  ruler  of  a  fourth  part,  to  which  we  have  refer- 
ences in  the  life  of  our  Lord.  The  Jewish  restlessness  and 
turbulence  led  finally  to  the  appointment  of  procurators,  one 
of  whom  was  Pilate.  Moreover,  the  points  of  Jewish  contact 
with  Rome  multiplied  as  they  also  came  in  contact  with  the 
rising  fifth  world-empire,  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  our  Lord, 
and  culminated  A.  D.  70  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  temple  by  Titus,  and  the  wider  dispersion  of  the  Jewish 
people  among  the  nations. 

Our  next  historical  question  is,  How  was  Christianity 
established  in  the  city  of  Rome?  Doubtless  many  Jews 
from  Rome  attended  the  annual  feasts  in  the  time  of  our 
Lord  and  became,  to  some  extent,  acquainted  with  the  issue 
between  our  Lord's  kingdom  and  the  ruling  party  of  Jeru- 
salem. It  is  certain  that  among  the  great  number  of  Jews 
gathered  together  from  various  nations,  that  Roman-Jews 
and  proselytes  heard  Peter's  great  sermon  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  some  of  whom  doubtless  were  converted  on  that 
day.  Through  these  converts,  on  their  return,  the  gospel 
may  have  been  carried  to  Rome.  It  is  much  more  probable 
that  Stephen's  ministry  may  have  sent  converts  to  Rome, 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  85 

particularly  after  the  dispersion  following  Saul's  persecu- 
tion. We,  at  least,  note  in  the  salutation  of  this  letter  cer- 
tain kindred  of  Paul  who  were  in  Christ  before  him.  This 
very  fact  may  account  for  the  bitterness  and  madness  of 
Paul's  persecution  of  the  church,  since  under  Stephen's 
mighty  power  a  breach  had  been  made  into  his  family-circle. 
The  kindred,  we  know,  were  in  Rome  at  the  time  this  letter 
was  written.  Then  Paul's  acquaintance  and  friendship  with 
Aquila  and  Priscilla,  banished  from  Rome  by  Claudius, 
would  increase  his  knowledge  of  the  personnel  of  Roman 
Christians.  Moreover,  his  great  meetings  held  in  Syria, 
Cilicia,  Asia,  Macedonia  and  Achaia  necessarily  brought 
many  Romans,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  under  the  influence 
of  his  ministry.  Hence  we  note  in  this  letter  salutations 
to  his  converts  in  Asia.  The  travel  and  traffic  to  and  from 
Rome  along  the  lines  of  the  great  Roman  roads,  extending 
to  the  boundaries  of  the  empire,  would  continually  enlarge 
Paul's  knowledge  of  the  Christians  at  Rome,  whether  Jews 
or  Gentiles.  In  this  natural  way  we  account  for  the  inti- 
mate personal  salutations  at  the  close  of  this  letter. 

There  was  no  one  central  church  at  Rome.  They  had  no 
common  meeting  place,  but  there  were  several  churches 
meeting  in  private  houses.  At  least  three,  we  may  gather 
from  this  letter,  particularly  the  one  in  the  house  of  Aquila 
and  Priscilla.  Hence  the  letter  is  not  addressed  to  the 
church  at  Rome,  but  to  all  the  faithful  in  Rome.  In  ac- 
counting for  the  establishing  of  Christianity  here  we  must 
not  lose  sight  of  the  labors  of  Christian  women,  whom  he 
calls  fellow-workers,  so  manifest  in  the  salutation. 

It  is  a  lying  tradition  that  makes  Peter  the  founder  of 
Christianity  at  Rome  and  the  first  bishop  of  the  church 
there. 

As  we  see  from  this  letter  there  was  no  central  church 
and  there  was  only  a  possibility  of  Peter's  indirect  influence 
through  his  Pentecostal  sermon.    Stephen's  influence  in  this 


86        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

direction  is  more  to  be  credited  than  Peter's,  and  Paul's 
much  more  than  both  of  them.  Aquila  and  Priscilla  should 
have  the  credit  of  establishing  the  first  church  there,  and 
the  noble  Christian  women  saluted  by  Paul  share  the  hon- 
ors with  all  of  them.  The  Romanists  indeed  contend  that 
Peter  went  to  Rome  immediately  after  the  events  recorded 
in  Acts  12 : 1-18,  and  remained  twenty  years.  But  this  con- 
tention contradicts  the  scriptures,  for  we  find  him  soon 
thereafter  at  the  council,  Acts  15,  and  still  further  after- 
wards at  Antioch,  Gal.  2:11,  and  it  may  be  inferred  from 
I  Cor.  9 ;  5  that  Peter  was  at  that  time  traveling  as  an 
apostle  to  the  circumcision.  And  so  as  late  as  his  first  let- 
ter we  find  him  in  Babylon  where  were  many  Jews.  That 
he  was  not  at  Rome  when  Paul  wrote  this  letter  is  evident 
from  the  absence  of  any  salutation  to  him  among  so  many ; 
nor  there  when  Paul  arrived  more  than  two  years  later  as  a 
prisoner.  There  is  no  reference  to  him  as  being  in  Rome 
in  the  letters  of  either  the  first  or  last  imprisonment  there 
of  Paul. 

It  has  also  been  contended  that  the  household-churches 
cited  by  Paul  in  this  letter  were  only  worshiping  and  not 
organized  bodies,  but  this  is  contrary  to  the  meaning  of  the 
word  "church,"  and  also  to  the  uniform  apostolic  method 
of  ordaining  elders  in  every  congregation  and  otherwise 
fitting  them  up  for  housekeeping.  They  were  not  like  cow- 
men on  the  range  marking,  branding  and  letting  loose.  In- 
deed, there  is  only  one  passage  in  the  N.  T.  that  at  all  con- 
nects Peter  personally  with  Rome,  and  that  one  only  by  a 
more  than  questionable  interpretation,  and,  moreover,  writ- 
ten long  after  this  letter,  viz. :  I  Pet.  5: 13.  The  contention 
is  that  by  "She  that  is  in  Babylon,"  Peter  means  heathen 
Rome,  mystical  Babylon,  a  style  followed  by  John  in  Revela- 
tion. But  John  writes  a  confessedly  mystical  book;  not  of 
this  kind  is  Peter's  first  letter.  Moreover,  John's  mystical 
Babylon  is  not  heathen  Rome,  but  the  apostate  Christian 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  87 

church — the  woman  in  purple  and  scarlet.  If  Peter  had 
been  at  Rome  when  Paul  wrote  this  letter,  why  was  he  not 
saluted  by  Paul,  as  well  as  so  many  inferior  ones?  If  he 
were  there  when  Paul  arrived  as  a  prisoner,  the  silence  of 
Acts  is  unaccountable.  If  he  were  there  when  Paul  wrote 
the  third  group  of  letters  during  his  first  imprisonment,  the 
silence  of  Philippians,  Philemon,  Colossians,  Ephesians  and 
Hebrews  is  marvelous.  If  Peter  was  in  Rome  during  Paul's 
second  imprisonment  the  silence  of  II  Timothy  is  marvel- 
ous. Another  argument  against  Peter's  using  Babylon  in 
the  sense  of  Rome,  is  that  in  his  second  letter,  presumably 
from  the  same  place,  he  quotes  Paul's  letter  to  the  Romans 
using  the  phrase,  "hath  written  unto  you."  If  living  at 
Rome  he  could  not  have  been  writing  to  Rome  and  quoting 
what  Paul  had  written  to  them.  The  author  does  believe 
that  the  traditional  evidence  is  sufficient  to  prove  Peter's 
martyrdom  at  Rome,  but  it  is  mixed  with  so  much  incredi- 
ble and  evidently  manufactured  matter — manufactured  for 
a  later  purpose — that  the  real  evidence  is  discounted  by  its 
bad  company.  At  any  rate,  Christianity  was  established  in 
the  city  of  Rome  before  this  letter  was  written,  though  cer- 
tainly not  by  the  present  personal  ministry  of  any  apostle. 
Let  the  rank  and  file  of  the  scattered  disciples  "who  went 
everywhere  preaching  the  Word"  have  their  lawful  credit 
here,  as  at  Antioch  and  many  other  places.  The  claim  that 
Peter  was  the  first  bishop  at  Rome  is  in  every  way  absurd 
and  unscriptural.  The  apostles  never  exercised  the  office 
of  bishop,  or  pastor,  of  a  particular  church,  not  even  at 
Jerusalem.  Their  office  was  general  as  contradistinguished 
from  the  local  office  of  bishop,  or  pastor. 

We  next  consider  the  author,  date  and  place  of  the  let- 
ter. Paul's  authorship  has  never  been  seriously  questioned 
by  the  scholarship  of  Christendom.  The  letter  avows  it  in 
the  beginning,  and  every  internal  evidence  and  all  its  rela- 
tions to  Galatians  and  Corinthians  support  it.    The  date  is 


88        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

largely  determined  by  its  relation  to  Corinthians  and  Gala- 
tians.  In  II  Corinthians  and  Galatians  he  replies  to  a  chal- 
lenge of  his  apostolic  authority  with  the  internal  evidence 
overwhelmingly  in  favor  of  Galatians  following  Corinthians. 
In  Galatians  and  Romans  he  discusses  justification  by  faith, 
with  the  internal  evidence  overwhelmingly  in  favor  of 
Romans  following  Galatians,  Romans  being  developed  from 
Galatians.  As  Ephesians,  the  more  general  discussion,  fol- 
lows Colossians,  so  Galatians,  being  an  off-hand,  fiery,  im- 
pulsive letter,  is  followed  by  Romans — a  calm,  deliberative 
enlargement.  The  parallels  between  the  two  letters  are  very 
striking  and  abundant.  The  reader  may  find  in  Lightfoot 
of  these  remarkable  parallels.  So,  we  may  say  that  Paul 
on  Galatians,  or  in  the  Cambridge  Bible,  a  fair  statement 
wrote  this  letter  from  the  house  of  Gaius  at  Corinth  about 
A.  D.  58.  Dr.  Robertson's  argument  for  this  date  in  his 
"Student's  Chronological  New  Testament"  is  very  fine. 
Lightfoot's  argument  from  internal  evidence  on  the  relative 
order  of  Corinthians,  Galatians  and  Romans  is  extraordi- 
narily strong. 

The  occasion  is  evident  from  the  letter  itself.  He  is  the 
guest  of  Gaius  in  the  city  of  Corinth.  He  has  concluded  his 
labors  in  those  parts,  and  is  about  to  make  his  final  visit  to 
Jerusalem,  carrying  the  alms  for  the  poor  saints  there  which 
he  has  gathered  in  the  great  collection  in  Macedonia,  Achaia 
and  Asia  Minor.  After  this  Jerusalem-visit  he  purposes 
a  tour  into  Spain  via  Rome.  To  prepare  the  way  for  this 
forthcoming  visit  to  Rome,  he  writes  this  letter,  having  an 
opportunity  of  sending  it  by  Phoebe,  a  deaconess  of  the 
church  at  Cenchrea,  the  eastern  Corinthian  sea-port. 

But  the  purpose  of  the  letter  goes  far  beyond  the  occa- 
sion. The  attack  on  his  apostolic  authority,  and  the  very 
heart  of  his  gospel  by  the  Judaizing  Christians  whom  he 
has  been  resisting  locally  and  in  a  somewhat  off-hand  man- 
ner in  his  letters  to  the  Corinthians  and  Galatians,  he  now 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  89 

realizes  to  be  not  only  more  than  a  local  matter,  more  than 
a  personal  attack  on  his  authority,  but  an  incorrigible  far- 
reaching,  fundamental  assault  on  the  whole  plan  of  salva- 
tion by  grace.  Impulsive,  off-hand  and  local  replies  do  not 
meet  the  exigencies  of  the  situation.  There  must  be  a  calm, 
dispassionate  and  elaborate  exposition  of  the  whole  plan  of 
salvation  sufficient  for  every  emergency  and  for  all  time  to 
come.  Such  a  discussion  would  likely  accomplish  the 
greater  good  and  attain  the  wider  circulation  if  addressed 
to  the  saints  at  the  imperial  capital,  from  which  as  a  center 
radiated  influences  to  all  the  circumference  of  the  world. 
Moreover,  this  very  discussion,  forwarded  at  once  to  Rome, 
might  anticipate  and  forestall  the  Judaizing  tendency  stead- 
ily moving  westward  from  Jerusalem.  Hence  there  is  noth- 
ing local  in  his  argument.  The  concluding  part,  with  its 
personal  salutations,  might  well  be  left  out  of  copies  sent 
abroad,  as  we  actually  find  to  be  the  case  in  some  later 
manuscripts.  Hence,  while  it  is  a  letter,  it  is  much  more 
than  a  letter — it  is  a  doctrinal  treatise,  a  veritable  body  of 
systematic  theology.  While  Ephesians,  developed  from  the 
more  local  Letter  to  the  Colossians,  is  of  the  nature  of  a 
general  circular,  and  in  this  respect  somewhat  resembling 
this  letter,  and  while  Hebrews  bears  resemblance  in  that  it 
is  an  elaborate  discussion  of  the  two  covenants,  yet  ad- 
dressed to  Christian  Jews  only,  this  letter  is  unlike  anything 
else  in  the  New  Testament. 

It  is  the  most  fundamental,  vital,  logical,  profound  and 
systematic  discussion  of  the  whole  plan  of  salvation  in  all 
the  literature  of  the  world.  It  touches  all  men;  it  is  uni- 
versal in  its  application;  it  roots,  not  only  in  man's  creation 
and  fall,  hut  also  in  the  timeless  purposes  and  decrees  of 
God  before  the  world  was,  and  fruits  in  the  eternity  after 
this  world's  purgation. 

It  considers  man  as  man  and  not  as  Jew  or  Greek.  It 
considers  law,  not  as  expressed  in  statute  on  Mt.  Sinai,  but 


90        GALATIAXS,  ROMANS,  PlilLIPriANS 

as  antedating  it  and  inherent  in  the  divine  purpose  when 
man  was  created  in  the  image  of  God.  It  considers  sin, 
not  in  ceremonial  defilement,  nor  as  an  overt  act,  but  as 
lawlessness  of  spirit  and  nature.  It  considers  condemna- 
tion, not  as  personal  to  an  individual  offender  because  of 
many  overt  acts,  but  as  a  race-result  from  one  offense  of 
the  one  head  of  the  race.  Consequently,  it  considers  justifi- 
cation, the  opposite  of  condemnation,  not  as  an  impossible 
acquittal  of  a  fallen  sinner  on  account  of  his  many  acts  of 
righteousness,  but  as  resting  on  one  act  of  righteousness 
through  the  Second  Head  of  the  race.  It  considers,  not  an 
impossible  morality  coming  from  a  corrupt  and  depraved 
nature,  but  a  morality  arising  from  regeneration,  sanctifica- 
tion,  resurrection  and  glorification.  It  considers,  not  the 
divine  government  and  providence  as  here  and  there  look- 
ing in  on  particular  men,  in  special  times  and  given  locali- 
ties, but  as  an  all-comprehensive  sweep  from  eternity  to 
eternity  reaching  with  microscopical  minuteness  every  detail 
of  the  nature  of  man,  and  universal  in  its  control  of  all 
forces,  and  all  subsidiary  to  the  original  divine  purpose. 
The  God  of  this  letter  is  GOD  INDEED— not  a  partial, 
local  deity,  not  blind  chance,  not  cold,  inexorable  fate,  but 
a  purposeful,  omniscient,  omnipresent,  omnipotent,  infinitely 
holy  and  infinitely  loving  God. 

The  integrity  of  the  book  has  been  questioned  as  follows : 

1.  Some  have  thought  that  the  book  should  close,  as  they 
say,  with  the  argument  at  14:23,  but  chapter  15  carries  on 
the  thought  of  chapter  14. 

2.  Others  have  thought  more  plausibly  that  it  should 
close  at  15:33,  with  the  benediction  there.  They  think 
chapter  16,  with  its  numerous  salutations,  should  close  the 
Letter  to  the  Ephesians  where  Paul  had  more  personal 
knowledge.  But  that  letter  is  a  circular  letter,  and  de- 
signedly leaves  out  local  references.  Indeed,  it  would  fit 
better  to  be  called  the  Letter  to  the  Laodiceans. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  91 

3.  These  contentions  are  somewhat  supported  by  the 
fact  that  later  manuscript  copies  omit  the  concluding  sec- 
tions. But  the  oldest  and  best  authorities  give  us  the  book 
as  it  is,  and  there  are  natural  grounds,  or  reasons,  for  the 
omission  of  the  conclusion  in  later  copies.  On  the  very- 
highest  external  authority  we  may  take  the  whole  book  as 
it  stands.  And  we  have  already  accounted  for  Paul's  large 
acquaintance  in  Rome. 

I  must  not  close  this  introductory  chapter  without  calling 
attention  to  the  connection  between  the  Old  Testament  and 
New  Testament  as  shown  by  the  great  number  of  Old  Testa- 
ment quotations  in  the  book.  There  are  more  than  three 
score  of  these  quotations  in  this  book,  covering  an  unusually 
wide  range  of  books.  Genesis  is  quoted  five  times,  Exodus 
four,  Leviticus  twice,  Deuteronomy  five,  I  Kings  twice. 
Psalms  fifteen,  Proverbs  twice,  Isaiah  nineteen,  Ezekiel 
once,  Hosea  twice,  Joel  once,  Nahum  once,  Habakkuk  once, 
Malachi  once,  and  there  are  others  more  indirectly  used. 

It  is  also  notable  that  Paul  sometimes  quotes  from  the 
Hebrew,  at  other  times  from  the  Septuagint,  and  some- 
times follows  the  spiritual  impulse  in  giving  the  true  sense 
in  his  own  words. 

We  now  come  to  the  subject  of  analysis,  better  illustrated 
in  this  book  than  in  any  other  Bible  book.  A  noted  writer 
has  said,  "Analysis  presents  the  classification  of  correlated 
truth."  Prof.  Agassiz  says,  "Thorough  classification  is  but 
an  interpretation  of  the  thoughts  of  the  Creator."  Dr.  H. 
Harvey  says,  "The  Bible  should  be  studied  analytically.  A 
cursory  reading  of  the  scriptures  does  not  interpret  them; 
they  must  be  carefully  analyzed  if  one  would  penetrate  into 
their  full  meaning."  Dr.  Francis  Way  land  says,  "(i)  We 
must  have  a  knowledge  of  the  several  parts  of  which  it  is 
composed.  But  this  alone  gives  a  very  imperfect  concep- 
tion. (2)  We  must  also  understand  how  these  parts  are  put 
together.    This  will  greatly  increase  knowledge ;  but  it  will 


92        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

still  be  imperfect.  (3)  It  is  necessary,  therefore,  that  we 
should  have  a  conception  of  the  relation  which  the  several 
parts  sustain  to  each  other,  that  is,  of  the  effect  which  every 
part  was  designed  to  produce  upon  e\»ery  other  part.  When 
we  have  arrived  at  this  idea,  and  have  combined  it  with 
the  other  ideas  just  mentioned,  then,  and  not  till  then,  is 
knowledge  complete.  It  is  manifest  that  this  last  notion — 
that  of  the  relation  which  the  parts  sustain  to  each  other — 
is  frequently  of  more  importance  than  either  of  the  others." 
Dr.  Shedd  says,  "All  truth  is  logical.  It  is  logically  con- 
nected and  related,  and  that  mind  is  methodical  which  de- 
tects this  relation  and  connection,  as  it  were,  by  instinct. 
Now,  a  methodizing  mind  is  one  which  by  discipline  and 
practice,  has  reached  that  degree  of  philosophic  culture  in 
which  these  systematizing  laws  work  spontaneously,  by  their 
own  exceedifig  lawfulness,  and  instinctively  develop,  in  a 
systematic  and  consecutive  manner,  the  whole  truth  of  a 
subject." 

Bearing  these  reflections  in  mind,  I  submit  for  considera- 
tion four  analyses  of  the  Letter  to  the  Romans,  three  of 
them  here,  and  my  own  later.  The  first  is  by  Albert  Arnold 
Bennet,  of  the  Baptist  Theological  Seminary  of  Japan,  and 
is  by  all  odds  the  best  in  many  respects.  In  his  book  we 
have  three  parallel  columns,  the  right  hand  column  contain- 
ing the  Greek  text  according  to  Westcott  and  Hort,  the 
middle  column  the  revised  translation  verse  by  verse,  and 
the  first  column  the  analysis  itself  in  detail,  carried  entirely 
through  the  book.  It  is  the  most  remarkable  specimen  of 
analysis  I  have  ever  known.  I  am  very  proud  that  a  Bap- 
tist is  the  author  of  it.  Who  would  expect  such  a  thing 
from  a  Baptist  Theological  Seminary  in  Japan  ? 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  93 

ANALYSIS  OF  ROMANS. 

(Albert  Arnold  Bennet,  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  Japan.) 

I.    The  Gospel  plan  of  salvation  by  Faith,  i-8. 

1.  The  importance  of  the  gospel  shown  by  the  moral  condition  of 
man,  both  Jew  and  Gentile,  i  and  2. 

2.  The  gospel  plan  of  justification  by  faith,  3-5. 

3.  The  gospel  plan  of  the  sanctification  and  glorification  of  those 
justified  by  faith,  6-8. 

II.  The  problem  of  Israel's  unbelief  (a  reconciliation  of  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation  set  forth  in  1-8,  with  the  seeming  rejection 
of  God's  chosen  people,  9-1 1.) 

1.  Israel's  unbelief  and  God's  severity,  9,  10. 

2.  Israel's  unbelief  and  God's  goodness,  11. 

III.  Faith  applied;  or,  the  duties  of  those  who  have  been  saved 
by  Faith,  12-16. 

1.  (Of  broadest  application)  Duties,  individual  or  common,  be- 
longing to  every  Christian,  strong  or  weak,  12,  13. 

2.  (Of  more  limited  application)  Duties  largely  relative;  espe- 
cially duties  of  the  strong  on  account  of  the  weak,  14,  15. 

3.  (Of  narrowest  application)  Greetings,  and  directions  about 
fellowship,  mainly  designed  for  the  original  readers  only,  (but 
suggestive,  by  inference,  of  application  on  a  broader  scale),  16. 

The  next  outline  is  by  Dr.  A.  T.  Robertson : 

Introduction,  i :  1-17. 

1.  The  Doctrine  of  a  righteousness  from  God.    i :  18 — 11 :  36. 

(a)  Its  necessity,    i :  18—3 :  20. 

(b)  Its  nature.    2:21—4:25. 

(c)  Its  results.    5  :  i— 11 :  36. 

fi)     It  makes  possible  peace  and  joy,  5:  i-ii. 

(2)  It  is  analogous  to  the  relation  of  Adam  to  the  race,  5 :  12-21. 

(3)  It  should  lead  to  greater  holiness,  6-8. 

(4)  It  throws  light  on  the  salvation  of  Jew  and  Gentile,  9-1 1. 

2.  General  and  special  exhortations  growing  out  of  a  righteous- 
ness from  God,  12 :  i — 15 :  13. 

3.  Personal  matters.    15:14 — 16:23. 
The  closing  doxology,  16 :  25-27. 

The  third  analysis  is  by  ray  lamented  and  scholarly  colleague, 
Dr.  John  S.  Tanner: 

Introduction:    1:1-17. 

i)     i:  1-7,  Salutation. 

(0     I :  la,  Author's  name  and  character. 

(2)     I :  lb,  6,  His  mission  (apostleship). 

t.    i:ib,  Source  (divinely  called). 


94        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

b.  1 :  2-4,  Nature  :   Gospel. 

a)  1:2,  Fulfillment  of  prophecy. 

b)  1 :  3f,  Concerning  Christ. 

c.  1:5a,  Agency  of  Appointment  (Christ). 

d.  I :  Sbf,  Sphere:    To  all  Gentiles,  including  Romans. 
(3)     1 :  7i  Salutation  proper. 

2)  1 : 8-15,  Paul's  deep  personal  interest  in  the  Roman  Christians, 
(i)     1:8,  Thanksgiving  for  their  faith. 

(2)     1 :  9-15,  His  desire  to  visit  them. 

a.  I :  gi,  Had  prayed  to  this  end. 

b.  I :  iif,  Motive  of  the  visit. 

c.  1 :  13,  Had  often  purposed  to  come. 

d.  I :  I4f,  The  desire  prompted  by  his  obligation  to  all  classes. 

3)  I  :i6f,  Theme  of  the  letter  :  The  gospel  the  power  of  God  unto 
Salvation  universally  available  through  righteousness  of  faith. 

I.    1:18 — 8:39,  The  plan  of  salvation. 

I.     1:18 — ^4:25,   Method  of  justification. 

i)  I  :i8 — 3:20,  Not  by  works  of  law  (legalism)  because  guilt  and 
condemnation  are  universal. 

(i)     1:18-32,  Case  of  the  Gentiles. 

a.  1:18,  The  wrath  of  God  abides  upon  them;  because 

b.  1 :  19-23,  They  refused  the  light  given  them. 

a)  I  :i9f.  They  had  a  revelation  of  God  in  nature  and  conscience. 

b)  1 :2i-23,  But  they  consciously  turned  from  Him  to  idolatry. 

c.  1 :  24-32,  The  result  was  to  plunge  them  into  the  depths  of 
guilt 

(a)  1 :24-28,  God  withdrew  His  beneficent  restraints. 

(b)  1 :29-32,  Their  depravity  was  deepened. 
(2)     2:1 — 3:19,  Case  of  the  Jews. 

a.  2:1-16,  Argument  stated:  God's  judgment  will  be  on  the  basis 
of  moral  conduct. 

(a)  2:1-5,  Folly  of  arrogant  confidence  in  special  divine  favor. 

(b)  2:6-11,  Judgment  will  have  reference  to  moral  conduct  in 
view  of  the  amount  of  light  possessed. 

(c)  2:  12-16,  It  is  obedience,  not  to  the  letter,  but  to  the  spirit 
of  the  law  that  is  availing. 

b.  2:17 — 3:8,  Objections  answered: 

(a)  2:17-24.  First  objection:  Being  possessors  and  teachers  of 
the  law  is  assurance  of  their  acceptance.  Ans. — Additional  sin  in 
teaching  what  they  do  not  practice. 

(b)  2:25-29.  Second  objection :  Circumcision  is  availing.  Ans. — 
Efficient  circumcision  is  not  of  the  flesh  but  of  the  heart. 

(c)  3:if.  Third  objection:  Then  the  Jew  has  no  advantage. 
Ans. — They  have  much  advantage,  particularly  that  they  are  the 
recipients  of  divine  revelation. 

(d)  3:3f.  Fourth  objection:  For  a  Jew  to  be  lost  would  annul 
the  promises.    Ans. — Not  so. 

(e)-  3:5-8.  Fifth  objection:  Unjust  in  God  to  punish  sin  that 
displays  His  righteousness.    Ans. — This  is  absurd. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  96 

c.    3  •9-19-    Conclusion :  Jew.  as  well  as  Gentile  is  hopelessly  lost. 

(a)  3  :9a.  The  Jew  has  no  advantage  in  the  matter  of  justifica- 
tion ;  because 

(b)  3:9b,  18,  Both  alike  are  under  sin. 

(c)  3:19,  Purpose  of  the  law  is  to  convict  of  sin. 

(3)  3:20,  Therefore,  legalism  as  a  method  of  justification  is  a 
failure. 

2)  3:21 — 4:25,  It  is  by  grace  through  a  righteousness  of  faith, 
available  alike  to  Jews  and  Gentiles. 

(i)     3:21-26,  This  method  stated  and  described. 

a.  3  -.21-24,  Its  character. 

(a)  3 :21a,  Apart  from  law. 

(b)  3  :21b,  A  righteousness  of  God. 

(c)  3  :21c,  Witnessed  by  the  O.  T.  scriptures. 

(d)  3:22a,  Through  faith  in  Christ. 

(e)  3  :22b,  Universal. 

(a)  3  :22b,  Available  to  all. 

(b)  3  :23,  Needed  by  all. 

(f)  3  :24,  Distinctly  gratuitous. 

b.  3  :25f.  Its  basis :  Propitiatory  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

(a)  3  :25a,  A  Propitiation  provided  by  God. 

(b)  3:25bf,  For  the  reconciliation  of  God's  righteousness  and  the 
sinner's  justification. 

(2)     3  :  27 — 4 :  25,  Its  bearing  upon  Jewish  conduct  and  faith. 
a-    3 :27-30,  Upon  their  conduct. 

(a)  3  :27f,  Condemns  their  pride. 

(b)  3:29f,  Condemns  their  exclusiveness. 
b.    3:31 — 4:25,  Upon  their  faith. 

(a)  3  -S^t  Does  not  subvert  but  confirms  the  O.  T.  law. 

(b)  4:1-25,  Is  not  contradicted,  but  confirmed  by  the  case  of 
Abraham. 

(a)  4:1-8,  Abraham  was  justified  by  faith  and  not  by  works. 
aa.    4:1-3,  The  scriptures  so  declare. 

bb.    4 :4f ,  This  excludes  a  condition  of  works. 

cc.    4:6-8,  Confirmed  by  the  observation  of  David. 

(b)  4:9-12,  Circumcision  not  a  condition;  for  Abraham  justified 
before  circumcision. 

(c)  4: 13-22,  The  promise  to  Abraham  was  conditioned  on  faith, 
not  law. 

aa.    4:13,  Statement  of  the  fact. 

bb.    4:14-17,  A  legal  condition  would  annul  the  promise. 

cc.    4:18-22,  The  historical  facts  of  the  faith  of  Abraham. 

(d)  4:22-25,  The  method  in  Abraham's  case  equally  applicable  to 
all  who  believe  on  Christ. 

2.  5:1 — 8:39,  The  completion  of  salvation  (sanctification),  as 
based  upon  this  method  of  justification. 

(i)  S:i-2i,  The  method  of  justification  promises  the  completion 
of  the  divine  work  of  salvation. 

(i)     5:1-5,  That  it  is  by  faith. 

a.  5  :if,  Having  received  such  a  gift,  we  should  realize  our  blessed 
State  and  be  confident  of  the  consummation. 


96        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

b.  5:3-5.  We  should  embrace  gladly  God's  trying  means  of  dis- 
cipline. 

(2)  5:6-11,  Christ's  sacrifice  for  us  as  rebels  insures  the  com- 
pletion of  His  work  of  salvation  in  us  as  His  children. 

(3)  5:12-21,  The  same  is  further  assured  by  the  superiority  of 
the  redemption  in  Christ  over  the  loss  in  Adam. 

a.  5:12-17,  (First  parallel  and  contrast)  Christ's  work  more  ex- 
tensive ;  efficient  for  the  multiplied  sins  and  sinners. 

b.  5:18-21,  (Second  parallel  and  contrast)  Christ's  work  more  in- 
tensive; overcomes  both  Adam's  sin  and  the  sin  of  the  individual 
developed  through  disobedience  to  the  law. 

2)  6:1-23,  This  method  of  justification  encourages  not  sin  but  its 
abandonment. 

(i)     6 :ifa.  Proposition  stated. 

(2)  6:2b-i3,  The  change  of  personal  relations  involves  a  life  of 
righteousness  with  Christ  and  a  death  to  sin. 

a.  6 :2b-6,  This  is  set  forth  in  baptism. 

b.  6:7-13,  As  Christ's  death  and  resurrection  were  once  for  all, 
so  should  be  the  believer's  death  to  sin  and  resurrection  to  righteous- 
ness. 

(3)  6:14-20,  That  the  believer  has  exchanged  sin  for  grace  as  a 
master  which  forbids  that  sin  should  longer  dominate  him. 

(4)  6:21-23,  The  mutual  antipathy  of  sin  and  grace  are  evident 
from  their  opposite  results,  viz. :  Death  and  eternal  life. 

3)  7:1-25,  The  law  a  failure  as  an  agency  of  sanctification. 

(1)  7:1-6,  The  believer's  objection  to  the  law  has  been  annulled 
by  death,  and  he  has  entered  into  another  companionship,  viz. :  A 
fruitful  one  with  Christ. 

(2)  7:7-23,  The  law,  though  righteous  in  itself,  is  unable  to 
produce  good  works. 

a.  7:7-13,  In  the  unbeliever  its  effect  is  to  manifest  and  aggravate 
the  presence  and  character  of  sin. 

b.  7:14-23,  In  the  believer  likewise,  it  aggravates,  but  does  not 
overcome  sin. 

(3)  7:24f,  Conclusion:  Efficacy  only  in  a  personal  relation  to 
Christ. 

(4)  8:1-27,  The  believer's  sanctification  is  accomplished  by  the 
guiding  and  transforming  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(i)  8:1-8,  He  implants  a  disposition  to  holiness  that  freely  at- 
tains in  life  and  conduct  what  was  impracticable  as  obedience  to 
law. 

(2)  8:9-11,  The  resurrection  of  Christ  is  a  guaranty  of  the  reno- 
vation and  resurrection  of  those  in  whom  the  Spirit  dwells. 

(3)  8:12-17,  The  Spirit  bears  personal  witness  to  the  believer 
of  die  latter's  sonship  to  God  and  joint  inheritance  with  Christ. 

(4)  8:18-27,  The  Spirit  also  prompts  and  guides  to  hopeful  long- 
ing and  righteous  supplication  for  the  consummation. 

(5)  8:28-30.  Believers  are  the  elect  of  God.  PREDESTINED  to 
be  called,  justified.  SANCTIFIED  and  GLORIFIED. 

(6)  8:31-39,  Triumphant  peroration  on  the  blessedness  of  the 
believer. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  97 

II.  9  :  I — 15  :  13,  PRACTICAL  BEARING  OF  THESE  FUNDAMENTAL  TRUTHS 
UPON  CHOICE,  LIFE  AND  CONDUCT. 

I.    9:1 — II  :35,  The  apostasy  and  rejection  of  the  Jews. 

(1)  9:1-5,  Paul's  intense  grief  over  the  fact. 

(2)  9:6 — 10-21,  Moral  responsibility  for  the  fact. 

(1)  9 :6-29,  God  not  culpable. 

a.  9:6-13,  His  promise  not  broken. 

(a)  9:6-8,  The  promise  not  given  to  all  the  natural  seed  of 
Abraham. 

(b)  9:9-13,  God's  plan  of  discrimination  exemplified  in  the  cases 
of  Isaac  and  Jacob. 

b.  9:14-24,  It  could  not  transcend  His  absolute  sovereign  right. 

(a)  9:14-18,  Scripture  proof  that  God's  acts  are  sovereign. 

(b)  9:19-24,  His  right  unimpeachable. 

c.  9:25-29,  That  only  a  fraction  will  be  saved,  is  according  to 
prophecy. 

(2)  9:30 — 10:21,  The  Jews  themselves  are  to  blame,  for  their 
rejection  was  caused  by  their  self-righteous  unbelief. 

a.  9 :30 — 10 :3,  Their  zeal  for  righteousness  has  been  misdirected. 

b.  10:4-13,  The  true  way,  viz.,  belief  in  Christ  upon  testimony 
of  the  preached  gospel,  much  simpler  than  the  one  they  employed. 

c.  10:14-21,  Israel  has  heard  and  refused. 

(a)  io:i4f.  Importance  of  preaching  admitted. 

(b)  10:16,  Israel  did  not  believe. 

(c)  io:i7f,  Having  heard  the  gospel. 

(d)  10:19-21,  And  having  been  warned  in  prophecy  of  their 
apostasy. 

(3)  11:1-32,  Limitations  of  the  fact. 

(1)  II  :i-io.  It  is  only  partial. 

a.  li:ifa.    The  salvation  of  Paul  himself  proves  it. 

b.  II  :2b-4,  The  doctrine  of  a  remnant  exemplified  in  the  experi- 
ence of  Elijah. 

c.  11:5-10,  God  makes  sure  of  a  few  by  election  of  grace. 

(2)  11:11-32,  It  is  only  temporary  and  conditional. 

a,  II :  1 1-24,  Israel  will  surely  be  regrafted  upon  his  native  stump. 

b.  II  :25-32,  His  lopping  off  is  only  a  part  of  the  divine  plan  of 
universal  mercy. 

(3)  II  :33-35»  Exclamation  over  the  supreme  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge of  God. 

2.  12:1 — 15:13,  Reflections  and  exhortations  on  Christian  con- 
duct. 

(i)  12:1 — 13:14,  On  the  general  conduct  proper  for  a  Christian. 

(i^  12: if.  As  a  child  of  God. 

f  2)  12 :3-2i.  As  a  member  of  the  church. 

(3)  13:1-7,  As  a  citizen. 

(4)  13 :8-io,  As  a  member  of  society. 

(5)  13:11-14,  As  one  who  expects  the  judgment. 

2)  14:1 — 15:13,  Special  directions  concerning  non-essentials  of 
faith. 

(i)     I4:i-I3a,  One  no  right  to  interfere  with  another. 

(2)  14:13b— 15:13,  Obligation  to  self-restraint  for  the  sake  of 
Others  on  basis  of  love  and  edification. 


98        GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

Conclusion  :    is  :i4 — 16  •.2T. 

(i)     15:14-16,  Paul's  apology  to  the  Roman  Christians  for  his 
letter  to  them. 

(2)  15:17-22,  Explanation  of  his  past  course. 

(3)  15:23-29,  His  plan  of  future  operations. 


(4)  15  :30-33.  His  request  for  their  prayers. 

(5)  i6:if,  Commendatio 

(6)  16:3-24,  Salutations. 


[5)  i6:if,  Commendation  of  Phoebe. 

[6)  16:3-24,  Salutations. 

[7)  16:25-27,  Benediction 


Having  these  three  analyses  before  us,  and  all  of  them 
good,  it  may  seem  immodest  to  submit  my  own.  But  there 
are  to  my  mind  overwhelming  reasons  arising  from  defects 
in  the  others,  particularly  on  chapters  3  and  8 — the  most 
vital  in  the  book.  But  my  own  analysis  will  appear  in  the 
body  of  the  discussion. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Of  what  group  of  great  letters  is  this  a  climax? 

2.  What  prophet  forecast  the  succession  of  five  world-empires, 
what  the  name  of  each,  what  the  Jewish  touch  with  each,  especially 
what  the  salient  points  of  Jewish  contact  with  the  Romans  in  historic 
order,  and  who  the  most  important  Jewish  writer  of  this  history? 

3.  How  may  we  account  for  the  multitude  of  Jews  in  the  city 
of  Rome,  what  position  did  they  occupy  there,  and  what  Roman 
classical  authors  refer  to  them? 

4.  How  was  Christianity  established  in  Rome,  and  what  the  credit 
due,  respectively,  to  Peter,  Stephen,  Paul,  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  and 
the  women  mentioned? 

5.  What  the  proof  from  the  letter  itself  of  at  least  a  remote 
connection  between  the  Jerusalem-apostles  and  the  planting  of  Chris- 
tianity in  Rome? 

6.  What  the  proof  from  the  letter  that  Paul's  converts  were  not 
the  only  factors  in  planting  Christianity  there? 

7.  How  may  we  account  for  Paul's  extensive  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  Christians  there? 

8.  To  whom  was  this  letter  written,  why  not  addressed  to  the 
church  at  Rome,  and  what  is  a  better  way  to  express  it? 

9._  What  the  evidence  that  there  were  many  Christians  in  Rome 
at  this  time? 

10.  Were  these  Christians  there  Jews  or  Gentiles,  or  both?  If 
both,  which  mainly? 

11.  Who  was  the  amanuensis? 

12.  What  the  scriptural  evidence  pro  and  con  for  the  Romanist 
contention  that  Peter  went  to  Rome  and  remained  there  twenty 
years  just  after  the  incidents  of  Acts  12:1-18,  and  vhat  the  answer 
to  the  Romanist  interpretation  of  I  Pet.  5:13? 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ROMANS  99 

13.  How  was  it  impossible  for  Peter  to  have  been  the  first  bishop 
of  the  church  at  Rome? 

14.  Is  the  traditional  evidence  credible  that  Peter  was  martyred 
at  Rome,  and  if  so,  how  is  it  yet  discounted? 

15.  If  there  was  not  one  central  church  at  Rome,  what  evidence 
that  the  several  worshiping  congregations  were  organized  bodies 
with  officers  ? 

16.  Who  the  author  of  this  letter,  and  what  the  proof  from  the 
letter  itself? 

17.  What  the  date  of  this  letter  and  how  obtained,  and  where 
was  it  written? 

18.  What  circumstances  conditioned  the  writing  of  this  letter  as 
expressed  in  the  relation  of  this  letter  to  I  and  II  Corinthians  and 
Galatians  ? 

19.  What  the  internal  proof  of  the  relation  of  Romans  to  Gala- 
tians ? 

20.  What  the  occasion  of  this  letter? 

21.  What  the  purpose  of  this  letter? 

22.  What  is  the  nature  of  this  letter? 

23.  What  other  books  of  the  Bible  may  be  classified  with  it  as 
a  discussion,  or  treatise,  on  a  great  theme? 

24.  How  is  it  unlike  anything  else  in  the  N.  T.? 

25.  What  questions  have  been  raised  as  to  the  integrity  of  the 
book? 

26.  How  does  this  letter  emphasize  the  connection  between  the 
O.  T.  and  the  gospel  of  the  N.  T.  ? 

27.  What  the  importance  of  an  analysis?  Quote  the  sayings 
of  Prof.  Agassiz,  Dr.  Harvey,  Dr.  Wayland  and  Dr.  §hedd  on  this 
subject. 

28.  What  analyses  were  commended  by  the  author? 

29.  Which  analysis  is  the  most  remarkable  in  literature,  and 
what  its  excellencies? 

30.  In  what  two  respects  does  Dr.  Robertson's  outline  excel? 

31.  In  Dr.  Robertson's  outline  what  is  the  great  theme  of  the 
letter? 

32.  In  Bennet's  outline  what  the  theme  ? 

33.  In  Tanner's  outline  what  the  theme? 

34.  Are  these  three  themes  practically  the  same? 


IX 

PAUL'S  SALUTATION,  THANKSGIVING  AND 
PRAYER 

Scripture:  Rom.  i :  1-17 

THE  theme  of  this  letter  is  found  in  Paul's  own 
words:  "For  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel:  for 
it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one 
that  believeth ;  to  the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the  Greek.  For 
therein  is  revealed  a  righteousness  of  God  from  faith  unto 
faith :  as  it  is  written,  but  the  righteous  shall  live  by  faith." 
This  theme  condensed  is.  The  Gospel  Plan  of  Salvation. 
But  someone  asks,  "Why  not  'Righteousness  of  God'  the 
theme?"  Because  this  righteousness  is  only  the  means  to 
the  great  end — "salvation." 

THE  SALUTATION,    I  :  I-7 

We  gather  from  the  salutation  the  following  things: 
(i)  The  writer:  "Paul."    (2)  Those  addressed :  "To  all 
that  are  in  Rome,  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be  saints,"  i.  e., 
Christians.     (3)  The  salutation  itself:  "Grace  to  you  and 
peace  from  God  our  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  writer  is  particularly  described,  (i)  In  his  status, 
as  a  "servant  of  Jesus  Christ."  (2)  In  his  office,  as  "called 
to  be  an  apostle."  (3)  In  his  ordination,  as  "Separated 
unto  the  gospel  of  God."  (4)  In  the  direct  object  of  his 
work,  as  "Unto  obedience  of  faith  among  all  nations,"  in- 
cluding the  Romans  themselves:  "Among  whom  are  ye 
also."  (5)  In  the  ultimate  reckon  for  his  work,  as  "For 
His  name's  sake." 

101 


102      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

His  "gospel  of  God"  is  described,  (i)  As  "promised  afore 
through  his  prophets."  (2)  As  recorded  "in  the  holy  scrip- 
tures."    (3)  "As  concerning  His  Son." 

That  Son  is  described  thus:  (i)  According  to  the  flesh, 
the  Son  of  David.  (2)  According  to  Spirit  of  Holiness, 
declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power  by  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead.  (3)  As  our  "Messiah  and  Lord."  (4) 
As  the  author  of  grace  and  apostleship. 

THE  THANKSGIVING,  I  :  8 

The  ground  of  thanksgiving  is  thus  expressed:  "That 
your  faith  is  proclaimed  throughout  the  whole  world." 

This  universal  proclamation  of  the  faith  of  the  Roman 
Christians  may  be  accounted  for  as  follows :  Rome  was  the 
world's  capital  and  center  of  governmental  unity.  To  and 
from  it,  over  the  great  military  roads  and  ship  lines,  were 
constant  tides  of  travel  and  traffic,  so  that  a  whisper  there 
reached  the  boundaries  of  the  empire.  To  Paul,  at  least, 
working  along  these  roads  or  sailing  over  these  sea-courses 
there  came  continual  news  of  the  progress  of  the  gospel 
there.  There  were  his  kindred,  his  converts,  his  acquaint' 
ances  from  many  lands,  with  whom  he  had  constant  com- 
munication. 

THE  PRAYER  AND  ITS  REASON,    I  :9-I5 

This  prayer  is  thus  expressed :  "If  by  any  means  now  at 
length  I  may  be  prospered  by  the  will  of  God  to  come  unto 
you."  It  is  described,  ( i )  As  sincere :  "God  is  my  wit- 
ness." (2)  As  unceasing:  "How  unceasingly  I  make  men- 
tion of  you,  etc." 

The  reasons  for  this  prayer  are,  (i)  To  impart  some 
spiritual  gift  looking  to  their  establishment.  (2)  For  mu- 
tual comfort  in  each  other's  faith.  (3)  That  he  might  have 
some  fruit  in  them  as  in  other  Gentiles.  (4)  Because  he 
was  a  debtor  both  to  Greeks  and  Barbarians,  wise  and  fool- 


PAUL'S  SALUTATION  103 

ish.  (5)  Because  he  was  ready  to  preach  at  Rome  as  well 
as  elsewhere.  (6)  He  had  been  hindered  in  his  purposes  to 
visit  them  hitherto  (see  also  15:22).  (7)  He  was  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  in  any  crowd. 

The  following  conclusions  may  be  drawn  from  this 
prayer:  (i)  That  he  counted  Rome  in  the  sphere  allotted 
to  him.  (2)  That  on  account  of  its  central  and  political 
position  as  the  world's  metropolis,  its  strategical  importance 
as  a  radiating  mission-base  surpassed  all  others.  (3)  That 
the  archenemy  of  the  gospel  understood  this  importance  as 
well  as  Paul,  and  so  far,  had  barred  him  out  of  the  field. 
Hence  the  necessity  of  this  prayer.  Twice  in  this  letter  he 
refers  to  this  hindering  of  his  purpose  to  come  to  them 
(i :  13  and  15:22)  and  in  I  Thess.  2: 18  we  find  that  Satan 
is  the  hinderer.  (4)  We  learn  from  Acts  23 : 1 1  that  it  was 
the  Lord's  will  for  him  to  visit  Rome  according  to  this 
prayer,  which  says,  "By  the  will  of  God."  Thus  we  see 
Satan  and  his  emissaries  opposing  Paul's  approach  to  Rome, 
while  Paul  was  longing  and  praying  to  get  there.  God's 
will  over-ruling  Satan's  will  in  answer  to  the  prayer.  And 
he  prayed  "if  by  any  means,"  leaving  that  also  to  God,  and 
we  learn  that  he  went  in  bonds  (Acts  27:1  and  28:20). 
(5)  This  prayer  with  its  reasons  opens  the  way  to  a  state- 
ment of  the  great  theme  of  the  letter. 

Let  us  now  analyze  the  theme  of  the  letter,  i :  16,  17. 
This  theme  involves  the  answer  to  these  questions:  What 
is  the  gospel,  to  whom  addressed  and  on  what  terms,  what 
its  power,  what  the  salvation  unto  which  it  leads,  how  is  it 
a  power  to  this  end,  what  the  righteousness  revealed,  what 
the  meaning  of  "from  faith  unto  faith,"  and  what  the  varied 
uses  of  the  quotation  from  Habakkuk?  The  gospel  is  the 
whole  story  of  Christ's  mediatorial  work  as  Prophet,  Sacri- 
fice, Priest,  King,  Leader  and  Judge,  addressed  to  the  whole 
human  race,  whatever  the  nationality,  sex  or  social  condi- 
tion, on  the  terms  of  simple  faith  in  Jesus  as  He  is  offered 


104     GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

in  the  gospel,  the  power  of  which  is  God  himself,  i.  e., 
God  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  salvation  unto  which  it  leads 
consists  generally  in  (i)  What  it  does  jor  us.  (2)  What 
it  does  in  us.    (3)  What  it  leads  us  unto. 

We  find  in  this  letter  that  Paul  uses  salvation  in  the  sense 
of  justification.  Man  is  saved  when  he  is  justified ;  but  in 
another  part  of  the  letter  we  hear  him  talking  about  a  sal- 
vation that  is  to  be  revealed  at  the  last  day,  and  we  hear 
Peter  talking  about  that  too.  Then  we,  in  this  letter,  also 
hear  him  speaking  of  salvation  in  its  symbols — in  its  figures. 
When  we  get  to  Romans  6  we  have  salvation  in  baptism 
and  in  the  Lord's  supper — not  actual  salvation,  but  salva- 
tion pictorially  presented.  Then  in  this  letter  we  hear  him 
tell  about  the  redemption  of  the  soul,  the  buying  back  of 
the  soul;  then  we  hear  him  tell  about  the  redemption  of 
the  earth  on  which  man  lives.  So  salvation  is  a  big  thing. 
Let  us  now  define  it.  Salvation  is  the  final,  complete  and 
everlasting  deliverance  of  the  sinner's  entire  soul  and  body 
from  the  guilt  of  sin,  from  the  defilement  of  sin,  from  the 
dominion  of  sin,  from  the  bondage  of  Satan,  and  the  deliv- 
erance of  man's  habitat — ^this  old  world — from  the  curse 
upon  it. 

Note  now  what  it  is  unto.  It  is  unto  something  as  well 
as  from  something.  We  have  seen  what  it  delivers  from. 
Now  it  is  a  deliverance  unto  what  ?  Unto  an  everlasting  in- 
heritance prepared  in  heaven.  It  can't  mean  less  than  that. 
We  can't  say  it  is  all  of  salvation  for  the  soul  to  be  justified 
when  the  body  is  not  saved ;  we  can't  say  the  body  is  saved 
until  it  is  raised  from  the  dead  and  glorified.  And  we  can't 
say  that  we  are  saved  unto  our  inheritance  until  we  get  to  it. 

I  will  state  in  another  form  what  salvation  is.  Salva- 
tion, in  its  legal  aspects,  is  expressed  by  three  words :  First, 
justification.  (Justification  is  the  declaration  of  a  compe- 
tent court  that  one  tried  before  it  is  acquitted.)  The  sec- 
ond legal  term  is  redemption.     (Redemption  is  the  buying 


PAUL'S  SALUTATION  106 

back  of  what  had  been  sold.)  The  third  term  is  adoption. 
That  is  a  legal  term  also.  We  are  not  naturally  children  of 
God,  and  we  get  into  the  family  of  God  by  adoption.  He 
adopts  us  into  His  family.  Adoption  is  that  legal  process 
by  which  one,  not  naturally  a  member  of  the  family,  be- 
comes legally  so.  Now  I  say  that  salvation,  so  far  as  legal 
aspects  go,  is  expressed  by  these  three  words — justification, 
redemption  and  adoption.  Paul  discusses  every  one  of  them 
in  this  letter.  When  I  am  justified  before  God,  that  deliv- 
ers me  from  the  wrath  to  come.  I  said  that  it  was  a  deliv- 
erance from  the  guilt  of  sin.  Justification  does  that — it 
delivers  us  from  the  guilt  of  sin. 

Let  us  look  at  salvation  as  done  in  us.  What  are  the 
terms?  Those  terms  are  regeneration  and  sanctification. 
What  is  regeneration?  Regeneration  is  giving  a  holy  dis- 
position to  the  mind.  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against 
God,  not  subject  to  His  law,  neither  could  be  made  subject 
to  His  law.  Man  in  his  natural  state  hates  God,  hates  truth, 
hates  light.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  a  man  be  redeemed  from 
the  curse  of  the  law,  or  the  wrath  of  the  law,  and  be  ac- 
quitted. It  is  necessary  that  he  have  a  mind  in  harmony 
with  God.  That  occurs  in  us ;  God  begins  a  good  work  in 
us,  and  continues  it  to  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  that 
good  work  in  us  is  expressed  by  regeneration  and  sanctifi- 
cation. Regeneration  gives  us  a  holy  disposition,  but  the 
remnants  of  the  flesh  are  still  with  us.  Then  sanctification 
commences  and  more  and  more  conforms  us  to  the  image  of 
Jesus  Christ,  as  we  go  on  from  strength  to  strength,  from 
glory  to  glory,  from  faith  to  faith.  That  is  what  it  does 
in  us. 

The  legal  part  is^accomplished  fully  right  here  on  earth. 
The  very  minute  we  believe,  that  day  we  are  justified ;  that 
day  we  are  redeemed ;  that  day  we  are  adopted.  The  sal- 
vation in  us,  referring  to  the  soul,  is  consummated  just  as 
soon  as  the  soul  gets  through  its  discipline  and  is  freed  from 


106      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  body.  On  the  other  side  we  see  the  spirits  of  the  just 
made  perfect.  That  is  the  end  of  the  salvation  as  far  as 
the  soul  is  concerned.  But  salvation  takes  hold  of  the  other 
parts  of  the  man — his  body  that  lies  mouldering  in  the 
ground.  God  provided  in  the  garden  of  Eden  for  the  im- 
mortality of  the  body.  When  sin  expelled  the  man  and 
he  had  no  longer  access  to  that  tree,  his  body,  of  course, 
began  to  die.  Salvation  must  save  that  body.  That  comes 
in  the  resurrection  which  he  discusses  in  this  letter.  In 
the  resurrection  these  things  all  take  place :  First,  the  body 
is  made  alive,  quickened.  Second,  it  is  raised.  Third,  it  is 
glorified.  And  glorification  means  what?  What  these 
words  say,  "It  is  sown  in  weakness ;  it  is  raised  in  strength : 
it  is  sown  in  dishonor;  it  is  raised  in  honor;  it  is  sown  in 
corruption ;  it  is  raised  in  incorruption ;  it  is  sown  a  mortal 
body ;  it  is  raised  an  immortal  body."  It  is  sown  a  physical 
body ;  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body.  It  is  sown  in  the  image 
of  the  first  Adam;  it  is  raised  in  the  image  of  the  Second 
Adam.  That  is  the  entire  man,  isn't  it?  I  said  it  was  the 
complete  and  everlasting  deliverance  of  the  entire  man,  soul 
and  body.  Then  fourth,  we  must  bring  those  two  saved 
parts  together.  So  Christ  brings  the  spirits  with  Him.  He 
raises  the  dead,  and  the  spirits  go  back  into  the  old  house, 
now  renovated  and  glorified. 

We  have  not  yet  come  to  the  end.  That  is  what  is  done 
for  us,  and  what  is  done  in  us,  but  it  isn't  the  deliverance 
unto  that  inheritance  that  is  reserved  in  heaven,  that  the 
heart  of  man  never  conceived  of — the  precious  things  that 
God  has  in  reservation  for  those  that  love  Him.  That  is 
Paul's  idea  of  salvation  as  it  is  presented  in  this  letter,  and 
never  less  than  that. 

There  are  a  great  many  people  that  say,  "I  am  saved  from 
death."  "How  do  you  know  you  are  saved?"  I  ask.  "Well, 
I  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  and  am  justified."  "That  is  very 
good  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  when  Jesus  laid  hands  on  you 


PAUL'S  SALUTATION  107 

didn't  it  mean  more  than  redemption,  justification  and  adop- 
tion ?  Didn't  he  do  anything  inside  of  you  ?"  So  the  salva- 
tion goes  on  in  sanctification. 

The  King  James  version  reads  in  verse  4 :  "Declared  to 
be  the  Son  of  God  with  power  according  to  the  spirit  of 
holiness."  Does  that  mean  Christ's  personal  spirit  of  holi- 
ness or  does  it  refer  to  the  Holy  Spirit?  In  other  words, 
is  it  referring  to  the  instrumentality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
quickening  Christ's  body,  or  does  it  mean  that  Christ  rose 
from  His  inherent  personal  spirit  of  holiness?  If  we  an- 
swer this  correctly,  we  also  answer  one  of  the  most  difficult 
other  passages  in  the  Bible,  towit :  I  Peter  3,  last  clause  of 
verse  18  and  through  the  19th :  "Being  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh,  but  made  aHve  in  the  spirit;  in  which  also  He  went 
and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison."  We  have  the 
same  question  in  that  passage.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  the 
Revised  Standard  answers  the  question  in  both  cases.  But 
I  say,  "Does  the  Revised  Standard  rightly  interpret  either?" 
Precisely  the  same  question  recurs  in  I  Tim.  3:16,  where 
the  Standard  Revision  follows  its  usual  interpretation.  Is 
it  right  in  any  of  them  ?    I  think  not. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  theme  of  this  letter  in  Paul's  own  words? 

2.  What  the  condensed  theme? 

3.  Why  is  not  "The  righteousness  of  God"  the  theme? 

4.  What  do  we  gather  from  the  salutation  ? 

5.  How  is  the  writer  particularly  described? 

6.  How  is  his  "gospel  of  God"  described? 

7.  How  is  the  Son  described? 

8.  What  the  ground  of  thanksgiving? 

9.  How  may  we  account  for  the  universal  proclamation  of  the 
faith  of  the  Roman  Christians? 

10.  What  Paul's  prayer  here? 

11.  How  is  it  described? 

12.  Why  this  prayer? 

13.  What  the  conclusions  from  this  prayer? 

14.  Analyze  the  theme  of  this  letter,  i  :i6,  17. 

15.  What  then  is  the  gospel? 


108      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

i6.    To  whom  addressed? 

17.  On  what  terms? 

18.  What  the  power  of  this  gospel? 

19.  Of  what  does  the  salvation  unto  which  it  leads  consist? 

20.  Define  this  salvation,  and  explain  fully  each  of  the  aspects  of 
salvation,  defining  also  the  terms  used. 

21.  What  the  interpretation  of  i  :4,  and  what  the  parallel  between 
it  and  I  Pet.  3:18,  19  and  I  Tim.  3:16? 


X 

THE   UNIVERSAL   NECESSITY   OF    SALVATION 

Scripture:   Rom.  i :  18-32 

AVING  considered  in  the  latter  part  of  the  preced- 
ing chapter  the  meaning  of  salvation,  we  now  follow 
the  apostle's  argument  in  showing 

THE  UNIVERSAL   NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION 


H 


The  argument  applies  to  the  whole  human  race,  to  man 
as  man,  both  Jew  and  Gentile.  In  this  discussion  we  have 
the  case  of  the  Gentiles.  They  are  guilty  of  ungodliness. 
They  are  unlike  God  in  their  nature.  Originally  man  was 
made  in  God's  image  and  likeness : 

"And  God  said  let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness; 
and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the 
birds  of  the  heavens,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the  earth, 
and  over  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.  And 
God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created 
He  him ;  male  and  female  created  He  them.  And  God  blessed  them : 
and  God  said  unto  them.  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish 
the  earth,  and  subdue  it;  and  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the 
sea,  and  over  the  birds  of  the  heavens,  and  over  every  living  thing 
that  moveth  upon  the  earth.  And  God  said.  Behold,  I  have  given 
you  every  herb  yielding  seed,  to  you  it  shall  be  for  food ;  and  to 
every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  to  every  bird  of  the  heavens,  and  to 
everything  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  wherein  there  is  life,  I 
have  given  every  green  herb  for  food :  and  it  was  so.  And  God 
saw  everything  that  He  made,  and,  behold  it  was  very  good.  And 
there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning,  the  sixth  day."  Gen. 
1:26-31. 

This  original  state  of  man  shows  his  likeness,  his  domin- 
ion, and  his  commission.  This  image  and  likeness  being  lost 
through  sin,  they  are  out  of  harmony  with  the  Creator. 

They  are  guilty  of  unrighteousness.  Their  deeds  are  evil, 
proceeding  from  an  evil  nature.     Their  sin  of  deeds  con- 

109 


110      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

sists  of  both  omission  and  commission.  They  have  not  only 
failed  by  way  of  omission  to  exercise  their  dominion  and 
execute  their  commission,  but  they  have  actively  done  con- 
trary to  both.  The  wrath  of  God  has  been  revealed  from 
heaven  against  both  their  sin  of  nature  and  deed.  This 
wrath  is  the  assessed  penalty  of  violated  law.  Here  we 
need  to  understand  the  law.  What  is  law?  In  its  last 
analysis  law  is  the  intent,  or  purpose,  of  the  Creator  in 
bringing  a  being  into  existence.  That  intent  is  set  forth  in 
the  passage  cited.  Gen.  1:26-31.  This  law  inheres  in  the 
very  constitution  of  our  being,  and  hence  as  a  principle 
antedates  any  particular  formal  statute.  Indeed,  all  statutes 
are  but  expressions  of  antecedent,  inherent,  constitutional 
law,  as  the  multitude  of  statutes  are  but  expressions  of  the 
law-principles  in  the  constitution  of  nations  and  states. 

Or,  varying  the  definition,  we  may  say  that  all  law  arises 
from  and  inheres  in  relations.  Where  there  is  no  relation 
there  is  no  obligation,  as  the  relation  of  parent  and  child 
measures  the  reciprocal  obligations  binding  parent  and  child. 
So  the  relation  between  husband  and  wife,  citizen  and  the 
state,  the  creature  and  the  Creator,  the  redeemed  and  the 
Redeemer.  With  each  new  relation  there  arises  a  new 
obligation  measured  by  the  relation.  Law,  then,  inheres  in 
the  intent  of  the  Creator,  and  is  antecedent  to  all  statutes 
and  independent  of  them,  except  only  their  fountain,  or 
source.  When  He  brings  a  being  into  existence,  the  law 
of  that  being  inheres  in  the  Creator,  and  in  the  relations  of 
that  being.  This  is  law  in  its  last  analysis  as  set  forth  by 
the  apostle,  but  in  this  very  context  (2: 12)  and  many  times 
elsewhere,  he  speaks  of  law,  as  that  given  on  Mt.  Sinai  to 
the  Jew,  which  will  be  noticed  more  particularly  later. 

Sin  therefore  is  lawlessness,  or  any  lack  of  conformity 
with  law,  whether  in  nature  or  in  omission  or  commission 
of  deed.  An  omission  of  duty  and  commission  of  sin  are 
but  symptoms  or  expressions  of  a  sinful  nature.     As  our 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  111 

Lord  said :  "But  the  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth 
come  forth  out  of  the  heart ;  and  they  defile  the  man.  For 
out  of  the  heart  come  forth  evil  thoughts,  murders,  adul- 
teries, fornications,  thefts,  false  witness,  railings,"  Matt. 
15:18,  19.  As  He  again  said:  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them.  Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of 
thistles?  Even  so  every  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good 
fruit;  but  the  corrupt  tree  bringeth  forth  evil  fruit.  A 
good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit,  neither  can  a  cor- 
rupt tree  bring  forth  good  fruit,"  Matt.  7:16-18.  "Either 
make  the  tree  good,  and  its  fruit  good;  or  make  the  tree 
corrupt,  and  its  fruit  corrupt ;  for  the  tree  is  known  by  its 
fruit,"  Matt.  12 :  33.  That  preacher  therefore  had  no  ade- 
quate conception  of  sin  who  defined  it  as,  "The  wilful  trans- 
gression of  a  known  law."  The  greatest  of  all  sin  is  a  sin 
of  nature.  It  is  not  dependent  in  obligation  on  our  knowl- 
edge. Paul  says,  "Though  I  know  nothing  against  myself, 
I  am  not  thereby  justified."  •  Both  natural  and  spiritual 
laws  bind  and  have  penalty  notwithstanding  our  ignorance. 
The  ignorance  itself  is  sin,  or  may  be  a  result  of  sin.  And 
transgression  is  only  one  overt  act  of  sin.  It  is  equally 
sin  to  fall  short  of  law  or  go  beyond  it,  or  to  deflect  from  it. 
Righteousness  is  exact  conformity  with  law.  With  this 
conception  of  law,  and  of  sin,  the  apostle  speaks  of  its 
penalty,  the  wrath  of  God — a  wrath  that  is  antecedent  to 
its  revelation.  And  yet  this  wrath  is  revealed.  So  now  we 
consider 

THE  REVELATION  OF  WRATH 

God  has  not  left  them  ignorant  of  sin's  penalty.  The 
knowledge  of  God,  and  their  relation  to  Him,  is  manifest 
both  in  them  and  to  them.  There  are  two  books  of  this 
revelation — the  book  of  nature  in  them  and  the  book  of 
nature  outside  of  them.  He  has  planted  knowledge  in  them. 
"The  spirit  of  man  is  the  lamp  of  Jehovah,  searching  all 
his  innermost  parts,"  Prov.  20:27.    As  the  natural  eye  is 


112      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  lamp  of  the  body,  so  the  spirit  is  Jehovah's  lamp.  "If 
therefore  the  light  that  is  in  thee  be  darkness,  how  great 
is  the  darkness!"  Matt.  6:22,  23.  Or  the  apostle,  in  the 
context,  further  describes  the  revelation  in  us :  "For  when 
Gentiles  that  have  not  the  law  do  by  nature  the  things  of 
the  law,  these,  not  having  the  law,  are  the  law  unto  them- 
selves; in  that  they  show  the  work  of  the  law  written  in 
their  hearts,  their  conscience  bearing  witness  therewith, 
and  their  thoughts  one  with  another  accusing  or  else  excus- 
ing them."  Man,  therefore,  by  the  very  constitution  of 
his  being,  has  a  knowledge  of  God,  law,  sin  and  penalty. 
Therefore  by  nature  he  is  a  worshiping  being.  When 
through  sin  the  light  in  him  is  darkened  he  may  and  does 
worship  false  gods,  yet  everywhere  he  is  a  worshiper. 

This  internal  light  is  not  a  faint  spark,  but  a  great  light. 
With  every  man  in  the  world  there  is  an  internal  sense  of 
right  and  wrong.  Men  may  differ  among  themselves  as 
to  what  particular  thing  is  right  or  wrong,  but  all  have 
the  sense  of  right  and  wrong.  They  are  keenly  alive  to 
their  rights  and  keenly  sensitive  to  their  wrongs.  But  there 
can  be  no  right  and  wrong  without  some  law  to  prescribe 
the  right  and  proscribe  the  wrong.  And  there  can  be  no 
law  without  a  law-maker.  And  there  can  be  no  law  with- 
out penal  sanctions,  otherwise  it  would  be  no  more  than 
advice.  And  there  can  be  no  penalty  without  a  judgment 
to  declare  it  and  a  power  to  execute  it.  But  every  man 
knows  that  even  and  exact  justice  is  not  meted  out  in  this 
world — that  many  times  the  innocent  suffer  and  the  guilty 
triumph.  Therefore  the  conclusion  comes  like  a  conqueror, 
that  there  must  be 

A  JUDGMENT  TO  COME  AND  A  WRATH  TO  COME 

There  never  was  a  man  who  has  not  at  some  time,  under 
a  keen  sense  of  wrong  done  him,  appealed  to  this  future 
judgment  and  invoked  upon  the  wrong-doer  the  wrath  to 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  113 

come.  It  is  this  knowledge  or  consciousness  of  future  judg- 
ment and  wrath  that  makes  death  frightful  to  the  evil-doer. 
And  it  is  this  consciousness  of  amenability  to  God's  future 
infallible  judgment  and  inexorable  wrath  that  restrains  crime 
more  than  the  dread  of  all  human  law  and  judgment.  So 
it  is  demonstrated  that  there  is  in  us  a  revelation  of  wrath 
against  sin. 

But  the  apostle  argues  a  revelation  of  wrath  outside  of 
us  and  in  the  broad  book  of  Nature.  He  says,  *'For  the 
invisible  things  of  Him  since  the  creation  of  the  world  are 
clearly  seen,  being  perceived  through  the  things  that  are 
made,  even  His  everlasting  power  and  divinity;  that  they 
may  be  without  excuse,"  i :  20.  His  deity  and  His  ever- 
lasting power  are  "clearly  seen"  in  the  universe  which  is 
the  work  of  His  hands.  To  the  same  effect  speaks  the 
Psalmist : 

"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God; 

And  the  firmament  showeth  His  handiwork. 
Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 

And  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge. 
There  is  no  speech  nor  language; 

Their  voice  is  not  heard. 
Their  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the  earth, 

And  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
In  them  hath  He  set  a  tabernacle  for  the  sun, 

Which  is  a  bridegroom  coming  out  of  his  chamber. 
And  rejoiceth  as  a  strong  man  to  run  his  course. 

His  going  forth  is  from  the  end  of  the  heavens. 
And  His  circuit  unto  the  ends  of  it; 

And  there  is  nothing  hid  from  the  heat  thereof,"  Psalm  19: 1-6. 

And  this  apostle  to  the  Athenians : 

"The  God  that  made  the  world  and  all  things  therein,  He,  being 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with  hands ; 
neither  is  He  served  by  men's  hands,  as  though  He  needed  anything, 
seeing  He  himself  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things ;  and 
He  made  of  one  every  nation  of  men  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the 
earth,  having  determined  their  appointed  seasons,  and  the  bounds  of 
their  habitation;  that  they  should  seek  God,  if  haply  they  might  feel 
after  Him  and  find  Him,  though  He  is  not  far  from  each  one_  of  us ; 
for  in  Him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being;  as  certain  even 
of  your  own  poets  have  said,  For  we  are  also  His  offspring.  Being 
then  the  offspring  of  God,  we  ought  not  to  think  that  the  Godhead  is 


114      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

like  unto  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone,  graven  by  art  and  device  of  man. 
The  times  of  ignorance  therefore  God  overlooked ;  but  now  He  com- 
mandeth  men  that  they  should  all  everywhere  repent :  inasmuch  as 
He  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  He  will  judge  the  world  in  right- 
eousness by  the  Man  whom  He  hath  ordained ;  whereof  He  hath 
given  assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  He  hath  raised  Him  from  the 
dead,"  Acts  17:24-31. 

Yea,  not  only  Nature,  but  Providence  in  Nature,  as  was 
said  to  Noah:  "While  the  earth  remaineth,  seedtime  and 
harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and  summer  and  winter,  and 
day  and  night  shall  not  cease,"  Gen.  8 :  22.  And  reaffirmed 
by  this  apostle :  "And  yet  He  left  not  himself  without  wit- 
ness, in  that  He  did  good  and  gave  you  from  heaven  rains 
and  fruitful  seasons,  filling  your  hearts  with  food  and  glad- 
ness," Acts  14:17.  Thus  all  nature  in  us  or  external  to 
us,  and  God's  marvelous  providence  proclaim  the  knowl- 
edge of  Him.  Tom  Paine,  the  deist,  admitted  all  this,  and 
expressed  his  admiration  for  Addison's  paraphrase  of 
Psalm  19: 

The  spacious  firmament  on  high, 

With  all  the  blue  ethereal  sky, 

And  spangled  heav'ns  (a  shining  frame), 

Their  great  Original  proclaim : 

Th'  unwearied  sun,  from  day  to  day, 

Doth  his  Creator's  power  display, 

And  publishes  to  every  land 

The  work  of  an  Almighty  hand. 

Soon  as  the  evening  shades  prevail, 
The  moon  takes  up  the  wondrous  tale, 
And  nightly  to  the  list'ning  earth 
Repeats  the  story  of  her  birth : 
While  all  the  stars  that  round  her  burn, 
And  all  the  planets,  in  their  turn, 
Confirm  the  tidings  as  they  roll, 
And  spread  the  truth  from  pole  to  pole. 

What  though  In  solemn  silence  all 

Move  round  the  dark  terrestrial  ball ;  • 

What  though  no  real  voice  nor  sound 

Amid  their  radiant  orbs  be  found; 

In  reason's  ear  they  all  rejoice, 

And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice, 

Forever  singing  as  they  shine. 

The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine. 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  116 

The  stoic  philosopher  might  magnify  inexorable  and  piti- 
less fate,  the  Epicurean  philosopher,  or  his  descendants,  the 
modern  evolutionists,  might  glorify  chance  in  attributing 
this  great  universe  and  its  people  to  "the  fortuitous  con- 
course of  atoms,"  thereby  proclaiming  themselves  brother 
to  the  fool  that  said  in  his  heart,  "no  God."  They  need  to 
read  the  lesson  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  to  whom  God  announced 
this  sentence : 

"Let  his  heart  be  changed  from  man's,  and  let  a  beast's  heart  be 
given  unto  him;  and  let  seven  times  pass  over  him.  *  *  *  The  same 
hour  was  the  thing  fulfilled  upon  Nebuchadnezzar :  and  he  was  driven 
from  men,  and  did  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  his  body  was  wet  with 
the  dew  of  heaven,  till  his  hair  was  grown  like  eagles'  feathers,  and 
his  nails  like  birds'  claws,"  Dan.  4 :  16, 33. 

The  evolutionist  indeed  classifies  himself  with  beasts  by 
acknowledging  a  brute  ancestry. 

This  revelation  was  sufficient  to  leave  them  without  excuse 
because  when  they  thus  knew  Him  as  God  they  were  guilty 
of  these  sins : 

a.  They  glorified  Him  not  as  God. 

b.  Neither  were  thankful. 

c.  Became  vain  in  their  reasonings. 

d.  Darkened  their  senseless  hearts. 

e.  Professing  to  be  wise,  they  became  fools. 

f.  Became  idolaters,  changing  the  glory  of  the  incorrupt- 
ible God  for  the  likeness  of  an  image  of  corruptible  man, 
birds,  beasts,  and  creeping  things.    This  brought  on  them 


JUDICIAL  BLINDNESS 

God  gave  them  up  to  the  reign  of  their  passions.  Both 
women  and  men  became  shameless.  As  they  refused  to 
retain  the  knowledge,  God  being  put  out,  with  what  were 
they  filled? 


116      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

"And  even  as  they  refused  to  have  God  in  their  knowledge,  God 
gave  them  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,  to  do  those  things  which  are  not 
fitting;  being  filled  with  all  unrighteousness,  wickedness,  covetous- 
ness,  maliciousness;  full  of  envy,  murder,  strife,  deceit,  malignity; 
whisperers,  backbiters,  hateful  to  God,  insolent,  haughty,  boastful, 
inventors  of  evil  things,  disobedient  to  parents,  without  under- 
standing, covenant-breakers,  without  natural  affection,  unmerciful," 
1 :  28-31. 

THE  RESULT 

"Who,  knowing  the  ordinance  of  God,  that  they  that  practice  such 
things  are  worthy  of  death,  not  only  do  the  same,  but  also  consent 
with  them  that  practice  them,"  i :  32. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  How  does  the  argument  for  the  universal  necessity  of  salva- 
tion apply  to  the  whole  human  race? 

2.  What  the  four  arguments  applied  to  the  Gentiles? 

3.  What  is  ungodliness? 

4.  What  is  unrighteousness? 

5.  What  the  consequent  wrath  of  God? 

6.  What  is  law? 

7.  What  its  relation  to  formal  statutes? 

8.  From  what  does  all  law  arise? 

9.  What  the  principal  relations  from  which  all  law  arises? 

10.  What  other  use  of  the  term  "law"  in  this  letter? 

11.  What  then  is  sin? 

12.  What  its  penalty? 

13.  How  is  the  wrath  of  God  revealed? 

14.  What  must  follow  the  fact  of  right  and  wrong? 

15.  When  and  why  a  judgment  of  wrath? 

16.  What  Paul's  argument  for  a  revelation  of  wrath  from  the 
book  of  nature,  and  what  the  logical  conclusion  with  reference  to 
the  position  of  the  Stoic  and  Epicurean,  or  the  modern  evolutionist? 

17.  Why  were  the  Gentiles  left  without  excuse,  and  of  what  sins 
were  they  guilty? 

18.  What  the  consequences? 

19.  Since  they  refused  to  retain  the  knowledge  of  God,  with  what 
were  they  filled? 

20.  What  the  result? 


XI 

THE  UNIVERSAL   NECESSITY   OF    SALVATION 
(Continued) 

Scripture:   Rom.  2:1-16 

WE  have  In  the  previous  chapters  shown:  i.  The 
great  theme  of  the  letter  to  be  (i :  16, 17)  God's 
plan  of  salvation,  and  we  have  analyzed  and  de- 
fined the  terms  of  the  compound  proposition  which  em- 
bodies it. 

2.  We  have  found  that  this  plan  contains  a  revelation  of 
God's  righteousness  as  the  only  ground  of  salvation. 

3.  We  then  in  the  last  chapter  commenced  to  study  the 
necessity  for  this  salvation  as  found  in  a  revelation  of  God's 
wrath,  which  stands  over  against  the  revelation  of  His 
righteousness. 

4.  We  found  in  part  just  how  this  revelation  of  wrath 
is  made  both  in  us  and  out  of  us,  towit :  (a)  In  the  very 
constitution  of  our  being,  "The  spirit  of  a  man  being  the 
lamp  of  the  Lord."  (b)  In  the  operation  of  the  conscience, 
either  accusing  or  excusing,  (c)  In  the  order  of  the  mate- 
rial universe  which  discloses  the  deity  and  power  of  the 
Creator,  (d)  In  God's  continual  government  of  the  uni- 
verse by  His  providence  evident  in  the  recurring  seasons, 
(e)  In  the  appeal  of  all  men  to  God's  judgment  for  un- 
righted  wrongs,  and  the  invocation  of  His  wrath  upon  the 
wrong-doer,  (f)  In  the  social  order  of  men  established 
everywhere,  whatever  the  form  of  government,  through 
which  men  define  and  punish  wrong,  (g)  In  the  worship 
of  all  men  everywhere  in  which  by  sacrifice  in  some  form 
they  seek  to  placate  the  offended  Deity  and  appease  His 

117 


118      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

wrath,  (h)  In  their  very  idolatries,  by  which  they  seek 
to  lower  the  Deity  to  their  own  level  and  even  beneath 
their  level,  and  in  their  veiling  their  pollutions  under  the 
cover  of  worship,  they  yet  bear  testimony  to  Deity  and 
their  amenability  to  His  judgment,  (i)  In  that  their  lives 
showed  that  nature's  light,  whether  external,  internal,  or 
providential,  has  no  power  to  regenerate  or  sanctify,  and 
no  power  to  propitiate  or  justify.  It  could  alarm  and  con- 
demn, but  could  not  save.  It  was  sufficient,  but  not  efficient. 
Hence  the  necessity  of  a  plan  that  would  have  the  power 
unto  salvation.  Here  I  want  to  insert  the  contrast  between 
the  light  of  nature  and  the  light  of  the  gospel,  both  of  them 
being  very  brilliant,  but  one  of  them  sufficient  and  the  other 
efficient.  In  Psalm  19,  which  has  already  been  quoted  in 
part,  we  have  this  language : 

"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God; 

And  the  firmament  showeth  His  handiwork. 
Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 

And  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge. 
There  is  no  speech  nor  language; 

Their  voice  is  not  heard. 
Their  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the  earth, 

And  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
In  them  hath  He  set  a  tabernacle  for  the  sun, 

Which  is  as  a  bridegroom  coming  out  of  his  chamber, 
And  rejoiceth  as  a  strong  man  to  run  his  course. 

His  going  forth  is  from  the  end  of  the  heavens. 
And  His  circuit  unto  the  ends  of  it; 

And  there  is  nothing  hid  from  the  heat  thereof." 

This  is  an  abundance  of  light,  and  a  sufficiency  of  light, 
but  notice  the  contrast : 

"The  law  of  Jehovah  is  perfect,  restoring  the  soul ; 
The  testimony  of  Jehovah  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple  (Na- 
ture's light  cannot  help  the  fool). 
The  precepts  of  Jehovah  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart: 
The  commandment  of  Jehovah  is  pure,  enlightening  the  eyes. 
The  fear  of  Jehovah  is  clean,  enduring  forever: 
The  ordinances  of  Jehovah  are  true,  and  righteous  all  together. 
More  to  be  desired  are  they  than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold; 
Sweeter  also  than  honey  and  the  droppings  of  the  honeycomb. 
Moreover,  by  them  is  thy  servant  warned." 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  119 

Here  it  is  the  design  of  the  Psalmist  to  put  in  contrast  the 
hght  of  nature  and  the  light  of  God's  work.  In  one  of 
them  the  knowledge  is  sufficient,  in  the  other  the  light  is 
both  sufficient  and  efficient.  As  bearing  upon  the  sufficiency 
of  that  light  I  wish  to  cite  the  comment  of  an  old  Puritan 
preacher,  who  says : 

"Now  the  preaching  of  the  heavens  is  wonderful  in  three 
respects:  (i)  As  preaching  all  the  night  and  all  the  day 
without  intermission,  verse  2.  One  day  telleth  another,  and 
one  night  certifieth  another.  (2)  As  preaching  in  every 
kind  of  language,  verse  3.  There  is  neither  speech  nor 
language,  but  their  voices  are  heard  among  them.  (3)  As 
preaching  in  every  part  of  the  world,  and  in  every  parish 
of  every  part  and  in  every  place  of  every  parish,  verse 
4.  Their  sound  is  gone  into  all  lands,  and  their  words 
unto  the  end  of  the  world.  They  be  diligent  pastors,  as 
preaching  at  all  times ;  learned  pastors,  as  preaching 
in  all  tongues,  and  catholic  pastors,  as  preaching  in  all 
towns." 

Let  us  compare  the  words  of  this  old  Puritan  with  what 
Paul  says  in  this  very  letter  to  the  Romans :  In  chapter  10 
he  quotes  it  and  we  see  how  he  uses  it,  showing  that  if 
man  was  not  a  sinner  he  could  learn  in  nature  the  way  to 
nature's  God.  He  says,  "Whosoever  shall  call  upon  the 
name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.  How  then  shall  they  call 
on  Him  in  whom  they  have  not  believed?  and  how  shall 
they  believe  in  Him  whom  they  have  not  heard?  and  how 
shall  they  hear  without  the  preacher?  and  how  shall  they 
preach,  except  they  be  sent?  even  as  it  is  written,  How 
beautiful  are  the  feet  of  them  that  bring  glad  tidings  of 
good  things.  But  they  did  not  all  hearken  to  the  glad 
tidings."    Then  he  quotes  Isaiah  and  also  this  very  Psalm : 

"But  I  say,  Did  they  not  hear?    Yea,  verily. 
Their  sound  went  out  into  all  the  earth, 
And  their  words  unto  the  ends  of  the  world." 


120      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

The  last  verse  of  chapter  i  affirms  that  there  was  suffi- 
cient knowledge  so  that  God's  ordinance  made  such  deeds 
as  were  enumerated  worthy  of  death,  and  yet  it  declares 
that  they  themselves  wilfully  disobeyed  and  consented  to 
disobedience  in  others.  I  ask  the  reader  to  note  particularly 
that  it  is  very  far  from  the  apostle's  thought  to  belittle  the 
light  of  nature.  He  boldly  avows  its  sufficiency,  but  in  that 
it  lacks  efficiency  there  is  necessity  for  another  light  which, 
is  "the  power  of  God  unto  salvation." 

Our  present  discussion  continues  the  argument  on  that 
necessity  as  follows:  Having  this  light,  sinners  are  "in- 
excusable" because  they,  as  individuals  and  as  society,  pass 
judgment  on  others,  not  excusing  them,  therein  condemning 
themselves  in  all  wrongdoing.  He  starts  out  with  the  dec- 
laration in  chapter  2 :  i  that  whenever  the  individual  man 
passes  judgment  on  a  fellow-man  for  alleged  wrongdoing, 
and  whenever  organized  society  passes  judgment  on  a  mem- 
ber of  society,  that  proves  that  they  are  inexcusable  if  they 
do  wrong,  since  by  their  judgment  they  have  established 
the  principle  of  judgment.  And  in  verse  2  he  advances  to  a 
new  thought:  "And  we  know  that  the  judgment  of  God 
is  according  to  the  truth  against  them  that  practice  such 
things."  What  is  that  judgment  of  God  that  we  know  so 
confidently  ?  How  do  we  know  it  ?  What  is  the  knowledge  ? 
The  knowledge  there  is  the  knowledge  that  comes  from 
nature.  His  argument  demands  that  from  the  light  of 
nature  in  us  and  outside  of  us  we  know  that  God's  judg- 
ment on  such  things  as  are  enumerated  in  that  first  chapter 
is  according  to  truth — that  the  things  there  enumerated  are 
wrong,  and  that  when  God  punishes  them  the  punishment 
is  just. 

In  verse  3  he  asks  this  question:  "Reckonest  thou  this, 
O  man,  who  judgest  them  that  practice  such  things,  and 
doest  the  same,  that  thou  shalt  escape  the  judgment  of  God  ?" 
On  what  kind  of  reasoning  shall  a  man  who  lives  entirely 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  121 

apart  from  the  Bible,  and  yet  does  claim  light  enough  to 
pass  judgment  on  the  wrong-doer,  escape  the  judgment  of 
God?  If  the  wrong  is  done  to  him  by  organized  society, 
whether  tribe  or  clan  or  nation  or  republic  or  a  limited 
monarchy,  no  matter  what  the  government  is,  that  govern- 
ment holds  some  things  to  be  wrong  and  assesses  punishment 
worthy  of  death.  "Now,"  he  says,  "do  you  suppose  that 
you  will  escape  the  judgment  of  God?  You  certainly  can- 
not." We  have  no  hope  from  such  light  as  is  in  nature, 
because  in  nature  every  violation  of  law  receives  a  just 
recompense  of  reward— every  one,  whether  we  know  the 
law  of  nature  or  not.  If  a  man  puts  his  hand  into  the  fire 
it  will  burn  him.  If  he  takes  poison  it  will  kill  him.  Con- 
fining our  judgment  to  the  law  of  nature,  any  hope  that 
we  may  indulge  and  with  which  we  may  solace  ourselves, 
is  foolish,  since  we  cannot  escape  the  judgment  of  God. 

He  advances  in  the  argument:  "Or  despisest  thou  the 
riches  of  His  goodness  and  forbearance  and  longsuffering  ?" 
The  thought  there  is  that  God  doesn't  punish  every  week — 
that  in  the  moral  government  of  the  world  a  long  time 
sometimes  elapses  between  the  commission  of  a  crime  and 
its  exposure,  and  in  multitudes  of  cases  exact  justice  is 
never  rendered  in  this  world.  Paul  asks  that  question 
because  of  God's  method  of  delay  in  His  final  punishment. 
What  is  the  reason  of  the  delay?  He  says  that  it  is  from 
"the  riches  of  His  goodness  and  forbearance  and  long- 
suffering."  God  is  good;  God  is  patient;  God  bears  a 
long  time  before  He  strikes.  "Now  are  you  going  to  de- 
spise that?"  As  the  apostle  says,  "Not  knowing  that  the 
goodness  of  God  was  designed  to  lead  thee  to  repentance." 
There  you  get  at  the  real  reason  of  God's  delay  in  punishing 
in  His  moral  government.  There  was  no  delay  in  the  case 
of  Adam.  When  he  sinned  God  made  the  inquisition.  He 
called  him  to  His  bar  at  once.  Since  that  time  why  doesn't 
He  do  that?    Because  that  very  day  grace  intervened,  and 


122      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

man  was  put  upon  a  grace  probation,  and  the  gospel  was 
preached  that  day  in  that  the  Seed  of  the  woman  should 
bruise  the  serpent's  head.  And  the  throne  of  grace  was 
set  up  that  day.  On  the  east  side  of  the  Garden  dwelt  God 
with  the  cherubim  to  keep  open  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life. 
This  delay  comes  from  His  goodness,  His  forbearance  and 
His  longsuffering.  And  the  reason  for  that  goodness,  for- 
bearance and  longsuffering  was  to  give  the  man,  though 
guilty  and  worthy  of  instant  death,  the  opportunity  to  repent, 
not  through  anything  in  him,  but  through  grace.  What 
Paul  there  says,  Peter  affirms.  In  H  Peter  3  he  answers 
the  question,  What  construction  shall  be  put  upon  the  long 
delay  of  God  in  punishing  men?  What  is  meant  by  it?  He 
says,  "The  Lord  is  not  slack  concerning  His  promise  [that 
is,  that  He  will  come  and  judge  the  world]  as  some  men 
count  slackness ;  but  is  longsuffering  to  youward,  not  wish- 
ing that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to 
repentance."  That  is  His  motive.  The  apostle  asks  a  ques- 
tion: "Is  it  because  you  see  that  God  doesn't  strike  the 
very  minute  that  the  sin  is  committed,  is  it  because  you 
despise  that  goodness  and  that  forbearance,  that  delay,  or 
is  it  ignorance  of  the  motive  of  that  delay  that  His  good- 
ness in  that  respect  shall  lead  you  to  repentance — is  that 
the  reason?"  We  are  told  in  the  O.  T.,  "Because  sentence 
against  an  evil  deed  is  not  executed  speedily,  therefore  the 
heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil," 
Ecc.  8:11.  They  despise  the  goodness,  and  they  ignore  the 
motive  of  the  delay. 

He  then  in  verse  5  makes  this  statement:  "But  after 
thy  hardness  and  impenitent  heart  treasurest  up  for  thyself 
wrath  in  the  day  of  wrath."  "Thou  dost  treasure  up  wrath." 
The  wrath  of  God  is  cumulative.  If  God  waits  to  punish 
and  a  man  despises  His  waiting  and  ignores  His  motive, 
then  he  has  added  to  the  cause  of  wrath,  i.e.,  the  wrath 
accumulates. 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  123 

It  is  more  important  that  we  as  preachers  should  under- 
stand this  reason  of  God's  delay,  which  is  the  idea  of  cumu- 
lative wrath,  than  to  know  anything  else  in  the  Bible  except 
the  very  heart  of  the  gospel  itself. 

I  will  illustrate  that  thought  so  that  it  may  be  clear. 
One  Puritan  preacher  said  that  man's  despising  of  the 
delay  of  God's  payment  of  sin  reminded  him  of  a  foolish 
fellow  that  comes  into  an  inn  because  he  can  buy  things 
on  credit,  and  ignores  the  fact  that  behind  the  door  the  inn- 
keeper is  scoring  up,  charging,  charging,  charging  for  the 
pay-day  that  will  come.  Another  preacher  has  illustrated 
it  this  way :  A  man  comes  to  a  tiger's  den  when  the  old 
tiger  is  away  and  picks  up  a  little  cub  and  marches  off  with 
it,  perfectly  serene  and  unconscious  that  stealthy  feet  are 
following  him,  and  at  a  turn  in  the  road,  with  a  scream  that 
frightens  him,  the  tiger  springs  upon  him  and  rends  him. 
Another  preacher  has  used  this  illustration :  A  house  had 
been  built  below  a  huge  rock-dam  in  a  river,  and  a  family 
had  lived  there  for  some  time  in  security,  and  as  day  after 
day  passed  their  sense  of  security  became  more  confirmed 
and  more  formidable,  and  they  were  wilfully  ignoring  the 
fact  that  up  above  the  stream  was  rising,  that  the  water 
was  increasing,  that  it  was  accumulating  in  volume  and 
accelerating  in  speed,  massing  up,  and  after  a  while  in  one 
moment  the  dam  split  and  the  overwhelming  water  de- 
stroyed the  hapless  family. 

Peter  presents  the  same  thought  in  the  passage  that  I 
cited,  but  I  did  not  conclude.  In  this  he  presents  that  cumu- 
lative thought:  "But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a 
thief  [that  is,  they  will  not  be  looking  for  it]  ;  in  which  the 
heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  *  *  *  and  the 
earth  and  the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned  up. 
Seeing  that  these  things  are  thus,  all  to  be  dissolved,  what 
manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  living  and 
godliness?"    The  day  is  deferred,  but  God  is  not  slack  as 


124      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

men  count  slackness.  With  Him  locK)  years  is  as  one  day, 
and  one  day  is  as  looo  years,  but  the  day  will  come,  and 
when  it  comes  it  will  be  as  a  thief  in  the  night. 

Take  another  illustration:  God  explained  to  Abraham 
how  his  descendants  could  not  immediately  take  their  terri- 
tory. He  says,  "The  measure  of  their  iniquity  is  not  yet 
full."  Once  in  preaching  on  that  I  drew  on  a  piece  of 
canvas  two  vessels  of  equal  size,  one  of  them,  the  vessel 
of  opportunity  and  the  other  the  vessel  of  iniquity.  As  the 
vessel  of  opportunity  empties,  the  other  one  fills  up.  As 
the  opportunity  grows  less  the  iniquity-measure  grows  larger. 
Whenever  the  vessel  of  opportunity  is  empty  and  the  vessel 
of  iniquity  is  full,  God  strikes. 

Another  preacher  has  used  this  illustration :  A  man  buys 
a  long  rope  and  stakes  out  his  horse.  The  horse  prances 
around  and  grazes  about  as  if  he  were  a  free  horse,  but 
other  horses  come  by  that  are  not  staked,  and  he  tries  to 
go  off  with  them,  but  he  can  only  go  to  the  end  of  his  tether, 
and  that  rope  measures  the  diameter  of  the  circle  in  which 
he  can  graze.  As  he  keeps  running  about,  the  rope  winds 
round  the  stake,  and  every  time  he  gees  round,  the  rope 
gets  shorter,  and  after  a  while  his  head  is  right  up  to  the 
stake. 

But  the  most  forceful  illustration  of  this  thought  is  a 
sermon  of  Jonathan  Edwards  in  New  England.  He  took 
this  text :  "Their  feet  shall  slide  in  due  time."  His  discus- 
sion runs  as  follows:  "They  are  rejoicing  that  they  have 
sometimes  kept  their  foot-hold  when  they  walked  over  slip- 
pery ground  and  over  ice.  They  have  a  vain  confidence 
that  they  can  stand,  but  in  due  time  their  feet  will  slide. 
The  sinner's  feet  did  not  slip  from  under  him  last  week, 
when  he  committed  a  sin.  He  was  terribly  frightened  that 
first  day,  and  the  next  day  he  was  less  frightened,  and  by 
the  third  day  still  less,  until  finally  he  forgot  it,  but  in  due 
time  his  feet  will  slip ;   God  has  appointed  the  time."    He 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  125 

is  really,  as  Jonathan  Edwards  pictured,  walking  on  an 
incline  plane  as  slick  as  glass,  and  when  the  right  time 
comes  it  isn't  necessary  to  push  him — his  feet  will  slip  them- 
selves, and  at  the  other  end  of  that  plane  are  the  depths 
of  hell. 

Hence  judgment  is  that  in  order  for  law  to  restrain  crime 
there  must  be  a  certain  punishment.  As  long  as  the  trans- 
gressor in  civil  or  criminal  matters  can  think  of  escaping 
punishment  or  devising  some  expedient  by  which  he  shall 
not  be  punished,  it  has  no  restraining  power  over  him,  but 
when  it  is  absolutely  certain  that  whether  it  be  soon  or 
late  that  every  evil  deed  shall  receive  a  just  recompense  of 
reward — whenever  he  gets  that  conviction  on  his  mind,  that 
restrains  him.  When  God  makes  inquisition  of  faults  He 
remembers,  and  when  He  holds  up  the  light  of  revelation 
to  the  sinner's  heart,  He  will  make  the  man  remember. 
When  this  light  bores  into  his  very  soul,  he  will  see  the 
slime  of  every  foul  thought,  every  beastly  act,  every  vile  sin. 
God  will  make  him  remember. 

We  come  now  to  a  thought  concerning  this  wrath  that 
we  must  not  forget,  viz. :  that  this  revelation  of  God's  wrath 
is  not  immediate.  It  is  a  wrath  to  come.  There  are  tem- 
porary judgments  on  man  and  on"  nations,  and  there  are 
chastisements  of  God's  people  here  on  earth,  but  when  we 
talk  about  the  wrath  of  this  text,  it  is  the  wrath  of  a  certain, 
inexorable,  definite  day.  It  is  the  day  of  wrath.  Hence 
Paul  at  Athens,  while  explaining  how  God  has  delayed  to 
punish  these  heathen,  and  that  God  has  overlooked  the 
times  of  ignorance,  i.e.,  passed  over  them  temporarily,  but 
now  He  calls  upon  all  men  to  repent,  because  He  has  ap- 
pointed a  day  in  which  He  will  judge  the  world  in  righteous- 
ness by  that  Man  whom  He  has  ordained.  And  isn't  it 
strange  that  when  the  Bible  so  many  times  speaks  of  that 
awful  day  in  the  future — speaks  of  it  as  a  set  day,  and 
connects  it  indissolubly  with  the  second  advent  of  Jesus 


126      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

Christ,  that  men  will  talk  about  the  advent  of  Christ  being 
imminent,  liable  to  come  at  any  time? 

It  is  not  liable  to  come  at  any  time.  It  can  come  but  at 
one  time,  and  that  time  is  not  a  sliding  scale.  It  is  an 
appointed  day,  and  as  at  His  first  coming  He  could  not  come 
till  the  fidness  of  time,  so  His  second  advent,  as  Paul  says, 
cannot  be  until  all  these  other  things  take  place. 

Not  to  make  a  mistake  about  that  day,  let  us  see  what 
Paul  further  says  about  it.  In  I  Cor.  3  he  says  that  this 
day  will  be  revealed  in  fire,  and  that  that  revelation  of  fire 
will  try  every  man's  work,  saint  and  sinner,  and  in  II  Thes- 
salonians  he  expressly  declares  as  follows : 

"Which  is  a  manifest  token  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God  *  *  *; 
if  so  be  that  it  is  a  righteous  thing  with  God  to  recompense  afflic- 
tion to  them  that  afflict  you,  and  to  you  that  are  afflicted  rest  with 
us,  at  the  revelation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  from  heaven  with  the 
angels  of  His  power  in  flaming  fire,  rendering  vengeance  to  them  that 
know  not  God,  and  to  them  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord 
Jesus :  who  shall  suffer  punishment,  even  eternal  destruction  from 
the  face  of  the  Lord  and  from  the  glory  of  His  might,  when  He 
shall  come  to  be  glorified  in  His  saints." 

That  shows  that  that  day  is  to  be  revealed  with  fire,  and 
the  last  book  of  the  O.  T.  closes  with  the  declaration : 

"For,  behold,  the  day  cometh,  it  burneth  as  a  furnace ;  and  all 
the  proud,  and  all  that  work  wickedness,  shall  be  stubble ;  and  the 
day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  that 
it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch.  But  unto  you  that  fear 
my  name  shall  the  sun  of  righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  its 
wings." 

The  next  point  about  the  judgment  is  that  it  will  be 
universal  on  that  day.  It  is  not  broken  up  into  a  series, 
the  righteous  judged,  and  1000  years  after  that  the  wicked 
judged.  Hence  in  Matt.  12 :  14  our  Lord  says,  "The  men 
of  Nineveh  shall  stand  up  in  the  judgment  with  this  genera- 
tion," one  saved  and  the  other  unsaved,  and  again  in  Matt. 
25:31  He  says,  "When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  His 
glory,   *   *   *   then  shall  He  sit  upon  the  throne  of  His 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  127 

glory."  Then  comes  the  separation.  They  are  all  there 
together,  good  and  bad,  and  hence  in  Revelation  20  John 
says,  "I  saw  a  great  white  throne  and  He  that  sat  on  it 
and  all  the  dead,  great  and  small,  are  gathered  before  Him," 
and  some  are  judged  out  of  the  book  of  life  and  saved ;  all 
not  in  the  book  of  life  were  cast  into  a  lake  of  fire. 

This  day  of  wrath  is  here  considered  apart  from  the 
gospel,  for  he  has  not  come  to  the  gospel  yet.  This  day 
considered  that  way  is  according  to  works.  In  chapter  3 
he  takes  up  the  gospel,  but  here  he  is  discussing  the  necessity 
for  the  gospel :  "Who  will  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  works." 

Let  us  look  at  each  case:  To  them  that  by  patience  in 
well  doing  seek  for  glory  and  honor  He  will  render  eternal 
life.  If  any  man,  leaving  the  gospel  out,  can  show  that 
he  has  been  patient  in  well-doing,  and  that  he  has  been 
seeking  glory  and  honor  and  incorruption,  God  will  render 
to  him  eternal  Hfe.  Here  is  the  other  class :  Unto  them 
that  are  factious,  and  obey  not  the  truth,  but  obey  unright- 
eousness, shall  be  wrath  and  indignation,  tribulation  and 
anguish  (notice  the  words,  "wrath,"  "indignation,"  "tribu- 
lation" and  "anguish")  upon  all  without  respect  to  race, 
the  Jew  first,  also  the  Greek.  But  glory  and  honor  and 
peace  to  every  man  that  worketh  good,  to  the  Jew  first  and 
also  to  the  Greek,  that  the  judgment  shall  be  without  any 
respect  of  persons.    That  is  the  thought. 

What  is  the  extent  of  that  judgment?  Let  our  Lord 
speak.  The  extent  is  soul  and  body :  "Fear  Him  that  [after 
man  is  dead]  hath  power  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in 
hell,"  or  as  He  presents  it  in  Matt.  25 :  "These  shall  go 
away  into  everlasting  punishment."  This  is  the  duration 
of  the  punishment.  The  extent  is  soul  and  body,  the  dura- 
tion "unto  everlasting  punishment."  Or  as  He  says  in 
another  place,  "Where  the  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched."    Or  as  He  expresses  it  in  yet  another  place : 


128      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

"In  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torment,  and  saw  a 
great  gulf  fixed,  that  no  man  could  pass  over."  And  his 
memory  worked:  "Son,  remember,  remember,  remember." 
It  is  without  discrimination  of  race.  Both  Jew  and  Gentile 
are  included.  It  is  also  without  respect  of  persons:  "For 
there  is  no  respect  of  persons  with  God."  This  judgment  is 
according  to  the  light  that  a  man  has.  If  he  has  not  the  law, 
he  perishes  without  the  law.  If  he  has  the  law  of  Moses, 
he  perishes  under  the  law  of  Moses. 

The  last  thought  is  the  most  stupendous.  I  will  barely 
state  it.  When  the  day  of  wrath  that  nature  tells  about 
comes,  it  will  be  a  day  of  wrath  according  to  the  gospel. 
That  shows  why  the  delay,  why  the  punishment  does  not 
come  at  once.  When  He  goes  to  judge,  the  judgment  will 
be  according  to  the  gospel  in  order  to  show  the  heinousness 
of  despising  this  delay.  Following  the  motive  of  that  delay, 
we  come  to  the  Judge :  "According  to  my  gospel,  by  Jesus 
Christ."  God  has  committed  all  judgment  to  Him.  In  all 
this  argument  He  is  laying  the  foundation  for  bringing  in 
the  plan  of  salvation.  He  is  showing  that  the  light  of 
nature  in  us,  while  sufificient,  is  not  efficient — ^that  it  cannot 
save,  it  cannot  regenerate,  it  cannot  sanctify,  it  cannot 
justify  us. 

Let  us  restate  these  thoughts  with  some  additions.  I 
first  explained  what  the  wrath  meant,  and  then  the  several 
ways  in  which  it  is  revealed.  We  now  come  to  consider  the 
part  of  the  text  which  shows  where,  by  whom,  and  for 
what  this  wrath,  in  the  sense  of  a  penalty,  is  exacted.  Our 
text  says,  "In  the  day  when  God  shall  judge  the  secrets 
of  men,  according  to  my  gospel,  by  Jesus  Christ."  Let  us 
look  at  that  statement  in  all  of  its  fulness.  From  the  day 
that  the  original  penalty  due  to  Adam's  sin  was  suspended 
by  the  intervention  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  under  a 
probation  of  grace,  all  men,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  have 
been  freed  from  the  immediate  execution  of  that  divine 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  129 

wrath.  There  have  been  earthly  judgments  on  wicked  men, 
and  chastisements  on  Christian  men,  but  the  full  penalty 
of  the  wrath  of  God  has  never  yet  been  visited  upon  man. 
When  a  wicked  man  dies,  he  goes  at  once  to  hell,  but  if 
that  were  counted  full  execution  of  the  divine  penalty  that 
man  would  not  have  to  leave  hell  to  come  and  stand  before 
the  judgment  of  God.  And  if  a  Christian  when  he  dies  goes 
immediately  to  heaven,  that  is  not  to  be  considered  the  full 
salvation  of  that  man.  The  reason  is  that  the  body  is  not 
involved  in  either  case.  When  this  wrath  of  God  is  visited 
upon  man  it  is  visited  upon  both  soul  and  body.  We  need 
to  fix  in  our  minds  clearly  the  reason  of  a  judgment  day  at 
the  end  of  time,  instead  of  ten  thousand  judgment  days  all 
along  through  time.  I  have  given  the  first  point.  The 
second  reason  is  that  in  the  very  nature  of  the  suspension 
of  the  penalty  under  a  covenant  of  grace,  space  is  given  for 
repentance.  Peter  and  Paul  both  discuss  that  proposition, 
Paul  here  in  the  chapter  where  he  says,  "Not  knowing  that 
the  goodness  of  God  was  intended  to  lead  thee  to  repent- 
ance." Peter  discusses  it  in  his  second  letter  where  he 
says  that  we  must  construe  the  longsuffering  of  God  toward 
sinners  to  mean  salvation.  The  third  reason  is  that  neither 
a  good  man  nor  a  bad  man  can  thoroughly  understand 
until  the  judgment  day  the  reasonableness  of  God's  govern- 
ment and  be  constrained,  whether  condemned  or  saved,  to 
admit  the  righteousness  of  the  sentence  pronounced. 

No  man  mill  realize  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  the 
exceeding  richness  of  God's  forbearance,  nor  the  fulness  of 
God's  grace  in  fixing  the  final  decision  until  that  day. 

We  know  now  only  in  part,  but  then  we  shall  know  as 
we  are  known.  The  wicked,  as  quick  as  a  flash  of  lightning, 
will  see  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  all  their  past  sins.  In 
the  case  of  every  man  before  his  conversion  he  realizes  that 
the  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things  and  desperately  wicked, 
who  can  know  it  ?    "I,  the  Lord."    He  is  the  only  one.    It 


130      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  for  a  man,  when  he  looks 
at  his  good  qualities,  to  take  a  telescope  and  look  through 
the  little  end  of  it  and  see  them  more  in  number  and  larger 
in  bulk  than  they  really  are.  But  he  reverses  that  telescope 
to  look  at  his  faults,  and  sees  them  infinitesimally  few  and 
small,  and  by  the  same  strange  power  that  he  sees  double 
in  the  first  group,  he  sees  his  faults  blend  and  become  fewer 
in  number.  He  sees  one  star  with  the  naked  eye  where 
there  are  two,  and  just  a  splash  in  the  milky  way  where 
there  are  ten  thousand  distinct  worlds.  By  a  kind  of  "hocus 
pocus"  he  takes  up  his  little  handful  of  evil  deeds  and  begins 
to  apologize  for  them,  and  finally  stands  off  and  says,  with 
complacency,  "Now,  Lord,  see  my  record.  You  can  see 
how  my  good  preponderates  over  the  evil."  Right  at  that 
time  comes  the  flashing  of  the  supernal  light  of  infinite 
holiness  upon  the  scales  and  presto !  what  a  change. 

These  good  deeds  that  look  so  mountainotts  and  multi- 
tudinous begin  to  diminish  in  size  and  number  and  shrink 
and  pulverise  until  they  become  like  fine  dust.  One  breath 
of  wrath  blows  them  away  like  powder.  On  the  other  side 
that  little  infinitesimal  group  of  evil  begins  to  multiply  and 
magnify  and  swell  and  tower  and  blacken  until  it  is  a  great 
mountain  range,  peak  after  peak,  oozing  with  the  puirid 
poison  of  that  abominable  thing  which  God  hates — SIN. 

So  in  a  sense  never  before,  will  all  then  admit  that  by 
the  deeds  of  the  law  no  man  can  be  justified. 

I  am  giving  the  reasons  why  that  final  light  of  judgment 
is  postponed  to  the  last  day  of  time.  I  want  to  add  another 
reason. 

No  man  is  competent  to  take  account  of  the  evil  of  his 
deeds  or  the  good  of  his  deeds  until  he  sees  the  end  of  their 
influence.  It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  do  anythitig  that 
terminates  in  himself,  but  it  will  surely  touch  everybody 
connected  with  him,  father,  mother,  brother,  sister,  friend. 
Not  only  so,  but  after  it  has  cast  its  gloom  over  all  the  circle 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  131 

of  those  that  are  nearest  to  him,  by  ties  of  consanguinity, 
there  is  that  awful  power  of  action  and  reaction  that  carries 
it  on  till  the  judgment  day. 

If  we  drop  a  little  pebble  into  a  placid  lake — a  stone  no 
larger  than  the  end  of  the  finger — ^by  the  power  of  action 
and  reaction  the  tiny  ripples  begin  to  radiate  until  they 
strike  the  utmost  shores  of  that  lake.  So  time  is  the  ocean 
into  which  our  deeds  are  dropped  and  the  influence  of  our 
deeds  in  their  radiating  wavelets  in  every  direction  never 
stops  until  it  strikes  the  shores  of  eternity.  How  then  can 
any  judgment  inflicted  now  make  that  man  see  ?  Those  that 
are  in  hell  today  don't  see  it.  Those  in  heaven  today  do 
not  see  it. 

It  will  take  the  light  of  the  judgment  day  to  bring  out 
the  full  realisation,  and  when  that  time  comes  there  will  be 
one  instantaneous  and  universal  dropping  upon  the  knees. 
Every  knee  shall  bow,  all  together — all  the  lost  in  hell  and 
all  the  saved  in  heaven,  and  every  tongue  shall  confess. 

When  a  man  is  just  about  to  turn  around  under  the 
"depart"  of  God's  final  condemnation  of  soul  and  body  and 
go  into  hell  forever,  before  he  goes  he  will  say,  "Lord  God, 
in  my  condemnation  thou  art  just." 

Judgment  of  man  here  upon  this  earth  is  based  upon 
uncertain  proof.  How  many  times  the  most  notorious  crim- 
inal is  compelled  to  be  acquitted  simply  from  the  lack  of 
legal  evidence !  There  is  moral  conviction  in  the  minds  of 
the  judge  and  the  jury  that  he  is  guilty,  but  the  proof  did 
not  show  it  in  a  legal  way.  In  that  day  all  evidence  will  be 
in  hand,  and  the  law  construed  and  vindicated  with  even 
and  exact  justice.  There  can  be  no  suborning  of  testimony, 
no  blindfolding  the  eyes  of  the  judge  with  a  bribe,  no  reti- 
cence on  the  part  of  witnesses  as  to  what  they  saw  or  heard. 
The  evidence  will  be  complete,  not  only  to  God,  but,  as  I 
have  said,  to  man.  If  ever  any  Christian  allows  himself 
to  indulge  in  feelings  of  pride  and  thinks  that  in  the  partner- 


132      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ship  between  him  and  God  that  his  "I"  is  a  capital  letter 
and  God  is  spelled  with  a  small  "g,"  it  won't  be  that  way 
up  there. 

He  wUl  know  that  his  salvation  is  not  of  works,  but  from 
its  in^ipiency  in  God's  election  to  its  consummation  in  the 
glorification  of  his  body,  that  athwart  the  whole  long  ex- 
tended golden  chain  of  salvation  shall  be  written  in  the 
ineffaceable  letters  of  eternal  fire,  "SALVATION  IS  OF 
GRACE,"  and  across  the  whole  dark  descending  stairway  to 
eternal  hell,  over  every  step  of  it,  in  letters  of  fire,  "MAN'S 
DAMNATION  IS  OF  HIMSELF." 

God  wisheth  not  the  death  of  any  man.  God  does  not 
arbitrarily  send  any  man  to  hell.    The  secrets  of  men ! 

There  never  yet  has  been  in  human  breast  a  heart  that 
did  not  hide  some  skeleton  secret,  not  only  secrets  because 
he  keeps  them  to  himself,  but  secrets  that  he  is  unconscious 
of  through  the  dimness  of  his  knowledge  and  callousness  of 
his  heart. 

A  writer  has  said  that  in  that  day,  in  the  flash  of  an  eye, 
memory  will  go  back  over  all  our  past  and  bring  up  our 
sins,  not  in  the  glamour  and  rose  color  of  their  commission, 
but  in  the  beastliness  and  ghastliness  and  horribleness  with 
which  God  views  them. 

"In  the  day  when  God  shall  judge."  That  day  is  fixed. 
God  has  appointed  a  day,  says  Paul,  talking  to  the  heathen 
idolaters,  in  which  He  will  judge  the  secrets  of  men  by 
Jesus  Christ.  It  is  strange  that  in  view  of  the  clear  state- 
ments that  the  judgment  day  is  just  as  much  fixed  and 
unchangeable  as  any  past  event,  as  to  its  time,  and  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  it  is  correlated  with  the  resurrection  of 
the  just  and  the  unjust  and  with  the  second  coming  of 
Christ,  that  some  men  conceive  that  that  day  may  be  this 
evening  or  tomorrow,  like  the  pre-millennial  view  of  the 
second  advent.  Just  as  sure  as  Christ  could  not  come  at 
first  until  the  fulness  of  time,  and  until  all  the  preparatory 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  133 

steps  had  been  taken,  just  so  sure  the  second  advent  will 
take  place  only  when  all  the  predictions  of  coming  events 
have  been  fulfilled.  We  don't  know  the  day,  but  it  is  fixed 
and  unalterable,  and  its  penalties  inexorable  and  without 
remedy. 

Now  comes  another  strange  thought — that  judgment  in 
the  last  day  will  be,  says  Paul,  "according  to  my  gospel." 
The  judgment  of  the  heathen  will  be  according  to  this  gospel, 
and  it  will  be  well  for  him,  even  if  a  lost  soul,  that  he  be 
judged  according  to  this  gospel.  There  cannot  be  a  case 
of  a  lost  man  in  which  it  should  be  better  for  him  to  be 
judged  by  somebody  else  than  Jesus.  Here  is  a  little  baby 
that  has  never  personally  committed  any  sin.  It  dies  one 
hour  from  its  birth  without  ever  lisping  its  mother's  name. 
It  has  inherited  sinfulness  of  nature.  It  died,  in  the  sense 
of  condemnation,  when  Adam  sinned.  To  put  it  as  an 
extreme  case,  let  us  call  it  a  heathen  baby.  Suppose  he 
was  not  judged  by  the  gospel.  He  would  be  forever  lost. 
But  the  gospel  points  to  another  Head,  Jesus  Christ  the 
Second  Adam.  The  death  of  Jesus  Christ  avails  for  the 
salvation  of  that  one  whose  condemnation  is  only  on  account 
of  Adam's  sin  and  only  on  account  of  inherited  depravity. 
If  it  were  not  for  the  gospel  that  child  would  perish  through- 
out eternity,  because  the  law  could  not  save  him.  All  the 
heathen  children  who  die  before  they  reach  the  years  of 
personal  accountability  are  saved.  Take  the  adult  heathen. 
Even  if  he  be  lost,  it  is  better  for  him  that  he  be  judged 
according  to  the  gospel  than  merely  according  to  the  law 
of  nature.  There  is  never  any  mercy  in  the  law  of  nature. 
In  the  light  of  grace,  Paul,  speaking  of  the  heathen,  says: 
"The  times  of  this  ignorance  God  overlooks."  In  Christ 
He  bears  with  the  sins  of  the  heathen  in  a  way  that  the 
law  could  not  bear.  Let  a  baby  and  a  man  stick  their 
hands  into  the  fire.  The  fire  burns  the  baby  who  is  ignorant 
the  worst  because  it  is  most  tender. 


134.      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

But  when  Jesus  judges  the  heathen.  He  judges  them  more 
kindly,  because  they  lacked  knowledge,  and  though  the  man 
be  lost  forever,  there  are  degrees  in  hell.  Not  every  man 
who  goes  to  hell  will  have  the  same  extent  of  suffering. 
It  is  not  like  running  all  the  sentences  into  one  mould  so 
that  they  will  all  come  out  alike,  as  candles,  in  length  and 
thickness,  but  according  to  light  and  opportunity  Jesus  will 
judge.  The  servant  that  knows  not  his  master's  will  and 
does  it  not,  shall  be  punished  with  few  stripes.  If  there  is 
one  principle  of  the  final  judgment  of  Jesus  Christ  that  is 
transcendently  above  any  other  principle  it  is  this  principle, 
that  the  judgment  will  be  rendered  according  to  the  light, 
the  privilege,  the  opportunity. 

There  will  be  discriminations  made,  based  even  on  hered- 
ity. Say  that  some  little  child  inherited  a  greater  thirst  for 
liquor  than  another  in  the  same  family.  The  sin  of  one 
who  is  consumed  by  this  hereditary  thirst  will  not  be  held 
as  heinous  as  another's  who  wilfully  acquired  it.  Then  the 
question  of  environment  enters  into  it.  A  little  street  Arab 
who  was  born  in  a  dark  alley  in  a  great  city  and  never 
heard  one  word  of  love,  never  the  subject  of  one  act  of 
tenderness,  never  knew  a  mother  except  through  her  shame, 
never  was  in  a  Sunday  school,  not  only  taught  but  forced 
to  steal.  It  is  impossible  that  God  would  visit  upon  that 
thief  the  same  degree  of  punishment  that  he  would  visit 
upon  the  Sunday  school  superintendent,  whose  father  and 
mother  were  pious,  who  received  a  training  in  the  Sunday 
school,  held  office  in  the  Sunday  school  and  talked  con- 
tinually and  taught  holy  things,  if  he  should  turn  thief  and 
transgress  God's  holy  law.  His  damnation  would  be  deeper 
and  darker  than  will  be  the  case  of  the  other.  Hear  the 
words  of  Jesus,  "It  shall  be  more  endurable  in  the  judgment 
for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  than  for  these  cities."  Why?. 
Because  these  had  great  light;  those  little  light.  That  is 
why  it  is  a  benefit  to  a  lost  man  to  be  judged  by  Jesus  Christ. 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  135 

That  is  one  of  the  sweetest  thoughts  that  ever  creeps  into 
my  mind — that  Jesus  shall  be  my  judge.  No  wonder  David, 
when  God  put  the  alternative  before  him,  "Would  you 
rather  fall  into  the  hands  of  your  enemies  or  into  the  hands 
of  the  living  God,"  said,  "Lord  God,  let  me  fall  into  thy 
hands.  Don't  leave  my  chastisement  to  be  assessed  by 
men."  I  never  think  of  God's  judgment  except  with  satis- 
faction. Even  when  I  am  thinking  about  things  I  have  done 
that  are  wrong,  I  am  glad  that  God  is  to  be  the  judge. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Bv  way  of  review  what  have  we  found:  (i)  As  to  the  theme 
of  this  letter?  (2)  As  to  the  ground  of  salvation?  (3)  As  to  the 
necessity  for  this  salvation?  (4)  As  to  how  this  revelation  of  wrath 
is  made  in  us  and  out  of  us? 

2.  Having  this  light,  why  are  sinners  inexcusable?  Explain,  "And 
we  know,  etc.,"  verse  2. 

3.  What  is  the  force  of  Paul's  question,  verse  3? 

4.  What  is  God's  method  of  punishment,  verse  4? 

5.  What  is  the  reason  for  the  delay? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  cumulative  wrath?    Illustrate. 

7.  When  is  the  "day  of  wrath?"    Give  proof. 

8.  How  is  it  to  be  revealed?    Give  proof. 

9.  Give  proof  that  the  judgment  on  that  day  will  be  universal. 

10.  According  to  what? 

11.  What  is  each  case? 

12.  What  the  extent  of  punishment? 

13.  What  the  duration?    Give  proof. 

14.  Show  that  it  will  be  without  discrimination  of  race. 

15.  Without  respect  of  persons. 

16.  What  part  does  the  light  a  man  has  play? 

17.  Why  a  judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world? 

18.  Give  proof  that  the  judgment  day  is  fixed. 

19.  How  is  the  judgment  to  be  by  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ? 
Illustrate. 

20.  What  the  transcendent  principle  of  the  judgment? 
ai.    What  the  effect  of  heredity  at  the  judgment? 


XII 

THE   UNIVERSAL   NECESSITY   OF   SALVATION 
(Concluded) 

Scripture:  Rom.  2: 17 — ^4:25 

I  REVERT  to  the  passage,  2:6-9,  referring  to  judg- 
ment: "Who  will  render  to  every  man  according  to 
his  works :  to  them  that  by  patience  in  well-doing  seek 
glory  and  honor  and  incorruption,  eternal  life:  but  unto 
them  that  are  factious,  and  obey  not  the  truth,  but  obey 
unrighteousness,  shall  be  wrath  and  indignation,  tribulation 
and  anguish  upon  every  soul  of  man  that  worketh  evil." 
That  discussion  of  the  judgment  is  the  judgment  of  law 
without  gospel  consideration.  Otherwise  it  contradicts  the 
whole  plan  of  salvation  set  forth  in  the  letter,  for  it  makes 
patient  continuance  in  well-doing  the  basis  of  salvation. 

Another  point  in  chapter  2  is  that  under  the  law,  being  a 
Jew  outwardly  could  not  save  a  man.  The  real  Jew  is 
one  inwardly  and  has  circumcision  of  the  heart.  He  must 
be  regenerated,  and  the  publication  of  the  grace-plan  all 
along  ran  side  by  side  with  that  law-plan,  even  in  the  O.  T. 

God  never  had  hut  one  plan  of  salvation  from  the 
beginning. 

That  leads  to  this  question.  If,  being  naturally  a  Jew,  and 
circumcised  according  to  the  Jewish  law,  and  keeping  exter- 
nally the  ritual  law  did  not  save  him,  as  chapter  3  opens — 
what  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew?  The  answer  to  that 
is  that  to  the  Jews  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God,  and 
they  had  a  better  chance  of  getting  acquainted  with  the  true 
plan  of  salvation.  Then  what  if  some  of  these  Jews  were 
without  faith  ?    That  does  not  destroy  that  advantage ;  they 

1$7 


138      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

had  the  privilege  and  some  availed  themselves  of  it.  Does 
that  not  make  the  grace  of  God  of  none  effect?  In  other 
words,  if  God  is  glorified  by  the  condemnation  of  unbeliev- 
ers, how  then  shall  the  man  be  held  responsible?  His 
answer  is,  "God  forbid,"  for  if  that  were  true  how  could 
God  judge  the  world?  That  supposition  destroys  the  char- 
acter of  God  in  His  judgment-capacity.  H  God  were  the 
author  of  sin  and  constrained  men  by  an  extraneous  power 
to  sin.  He  could  not  be  a  judge.  All  who  hold  the  Calvinistic 
interpretation  of  grace  must  give  fair  weight  to  that  state- 
ment. Whenever  God  does  judge  a  man,  His  judgment  will 
be  absolutely  fair. 

Once  when  a  party  of  preachers  were  discussing  election 
and  predestination  I  asked  the  question,  "Do  you  believe  in 
election  and  predestination?"  The  answer  was,  "Yes." 
"Are  you  ever  hindered  by  what  you  believe  about  election 
in  preaching  a  universal  gospel?  If  you  have  any  embar- 
rassment there  it  shows  that  you  have  in  some  way  a  wrong 
view  of  the  doctrine  of  election  and  predestination."  A 
young  preacher  of  my  county  went  to  the  wall  on  that  thing. 
It  made  him  practically  quit  preaching,  because  he  said 
that  he  had  no  gospel  except  for  the  sheep.  I  showed  him 
how,  in  emphasizing  one  truth  according  to  his  construction 
of  that  truth,  he  was  emphatically  denying  another  truth 
of  God.  That  brings  up  another  question:  If  the  loss  of 
the  sinner  accrues  to  the  glory  of  God,  why  should  he  be 
judged  as  a  sinner?  A  supposition  is  made.  Under  that 
view  would  it  not  be  well  to  say,  "Let  us  do  evil  that  good 
may  come  ?"  There  were  some  slanderous  reports  that  such 
was  Paul's  teaching.  He  utterly  disavows  such  teaching 
or  that  any  fair  construction  of  what  he  preached  tended 
that  way. 

We  come  now  to  his  conclusion  of  the  necessity  of  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation.  He  bases  it  upon  the  fact  that 
under  the  law  of  nature,  providence  and  conscience,  under 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  189 

the  law  of  Sinai,  under  any  form  of  law,  the  whole  world 
is  guilty. 

"There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one; 
There  is  none  that  understandeth. 
There  is  none  that  seeketh  after  God; 

They  have  all  turned  aside,  they  are  together  become  unprof- 
itable." 

So  apart  from  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation  there  is  universal 
condemnation. 

We  come  to  his  next  conclusion,  3 :  13-18,  that  man's 
depravity  is  total.  Total  refers  to  all  the  parts,  and  not  to 
degrees.  He  enumerates  the  parts  to  show  the  totality. 
That  doesn't  mean  that  every  man  is  as  wicked  in  degree 
as  he  can  be,  but  that  every  part  is  so  depraved  that  without 
the  gospel  plan  of  salvation  he  cannot  be  saved : 

"Their  throat  is  an  open  sepulchre ; 
With  their  tongues  they  have  used  deceit; 
The  poison  of  asps  is  under  their  lips ; 
Whose  mouth  is  full  of  cursing  and  bitterness; 
Their  feet  are  swift  to  shed  blood ; 
Destruction  and  misery  are  in  their  ways ; 
And  the  way  of  peace  have  they  not  known : 
There  is  no  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes." 

With  mankind  universally  guilty,  and  every  member 
totally  depraved,  we  get  another  conclusion — that  whatever 
things  the  law  says,  it  says  to  those  under  the  law.  No 
matter  whether  the  law  of  conscience,  the  law  of  nature, 
or  the  moral  law  of  Moses,  those  under  the  law  must  be 
judged  by  the  law.  That  being  so,  he  sums  up  his  conclusion 
thus :  "By  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in 
His  sight." 

That  brings  us  to  consider  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation 
which  extends  from  verse  21  of  this  chapter  to  the  end  of 
chapter  8,  and  covers  four  points — justification,  regenera- 
tion, sanctification,  and  glorification.  For  the  present  we 
will  discuss  that  part  called  justification.     He  commences 


14^      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

by  stating  that  while  there  is  no  righteousness  by  the  law, 
there  is  a  righteousness  apart  from  the  law,  and  this  way 
of  salvation  apart  from  the  law  is  witnessed  by  the  law 
itself  and  by  the  prophets,  and  that  this  righteousness  is 
presented  to  both  Jew  and  Gentile  without  any  distinction, 
and  that  always  has  been  the  way  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world  to  the  present  time.  If  God  has  seemed  to  dis- 
criminate in  favor  of  the  Jews,  He  looked  toward  the  Gen- 
tiles through  the  Jews,  and  if  He  now  seems  partial  to  the 
Gentiles  against  the  Jews,  He  is  looking  toward  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Jews.  This  righteousness  is  presented  to  all 
men  on  the  same  terms — faith — and  this  righteousness  pre- 
sented by  faith  is  of  grace.  Man  doesn't  merit  it,  either 
Jew  or  Gentile — it  is  free. 

It  is  the  hardest  thing  in  the  world  to  convince  a  sinner 
that  salvation  comes  from  no  merit  of  his,  and  that  faith  is 
simply  the  Imnd  that  receives.  Throughout  all  the  length 
of  the  great  chain  of  salvation  it  is  presented  without  dis- 
crimination of  race,  color,  sex,  or  previous  condition  of 
servitude. 

We  come  now  to  the  ground  of  it.  That  ground  is 
redemption  through  Christ.  To  redeem  means  to  buy  back. 
It  implies  that  the  one  was  sold  and  lost.  It  must  be  a 
buying  back,  and  it  would  not  be  of  grace  if  we  did  the  buy- 
ing back.  It  is  a  redemption  through  Jesus  Christ.  He  is 
the  Redeemer — the  one  who  buys  back.  The  meritorious 
ground  consists  in  His  expiation  reaching  us  through  His 
mediation.  He  stands  between  the  sinner  and  God  and 
touches  both.  The  first  part  of  His  mediation  is  the  pay- 
ment of  that  purchase-price.  He  could  not,  in  paying  the 
purchase-price,  stand  for  God  unless  God  set  Him  forth 
as  a  propitiation.  He  could  not  touch  man  unless  He 
himself,  in  one  sense,  was  a  man,  and  voluntarily  took  the 
position.  The  effectiveness  of  the  propitiation  depends  upon 
the  faith  of  the  one  to  receive  Jesus.    That  covers  all  past 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  141 

sins.  When  we  accept  Jesus  we  are  acquitted  forever, 
never  again  coming  into  condemnation.  I  said  that  that 
"covers  past  sins."  We  must  understand  this.  Christ's 
death  avails  meritoriously  once  for  all  for  all  the  sins  of 
a  man,  past,  present  and  future.  But  in  the  methods  of 
grace  there  is  a  difference  in  application  between  sins  before 
justification  and  sins  after  justification.  The  ground  is  one, 
before  and  after.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  applies  differently. 
When  we  accept  Jesus  by  faith  as  He  is  offered  in  the 
gospel,  we  at  once  and  forever  enter  into  justification, 
redemption  of  soul  and  adoption  into  God's  family,  and 
are  regenerated.  We  are  no  longer  aliens  and  enemies, 
but  children  and  friends  of  God.  God's  grace  therefore 
deals  with  us  as  children.  Our  sins  thereafter  are  the  sins 
of  children.  We  reach  forgiveness  of  them  through  the 
intercessions  of  our  High  Priest  and  the  pleadings  of  our 
Advocate  (See  Heb.  9:25,  26;  7:25;  I  John  2:1).  We 
may  be  conscious  of  complete  peace  when  justified  (Rom. 
5 : 1,)  but  our  consciences  condemn  us  for  sins  after  justi- 
fication, and  peace  comes  for  these  offenses  through  con- 
fession, through  faith,  through  intercession,  through  the 
application  of  the  same  cleansing  blood  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
So  in  us  regeneration  is  once  for  all,  but  this  good  work 
commenced  in  us  is  continued  through  sanctification  with 
its  continual  application  of  the  merits  of  Christ's  death. 
Therefore  our  theme  says,  "From  faith  to  faith."  Not  only 
justified  by  faith,  but  living  by  faith  after  justification 
through  every  step  of  sanctification.  We  don't  introduce 
any  new  meritorious  ground.  That  is  sufficient  for  all, 
but  it  is  applied  differently.  Justification  takes  place  in 
heaven.  It  is  God  that  justifies.  The  ground  of  the  justi- 
fication is  the  expiation  of  Christ.  The  means  by  which 
we  receive  the  justification  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  part  of 
regeneration  which  is  called  cleansing.  Regeneration  con- 
sists of  two  elements,  at  least — cleansing  and  renewing. 


142      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

But  the  very  moment  that  one  believes  in  Christ  the  Holy 
Spirit  applies  the  blood  of  Christ  to  his  heart  and  he  is 
cleansed  from  the  defilement  of  sin.  At  the  same  time  the 
Holy  Spirit  does  another  thing.  He  renews  the  mind.  He 
changes  that  carnal  mind  which  is  enmity  toward  God. 
Few  preachers  ever  explain  thoroughly  that  passage  in 
Ezekiel:  "Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you  and 
you  shall  be  clean.  I  will  take  away  your  stony  heart  and 
give  you  a  heart  of  flesh."  There  is  the  cleansing  and  the 
renewing.  Jesus  says,  "Bom  of  water  and  Spirit."  There 
are  no  articles  in  the  Greek.  It  is  one  birth.  In  Titus  we 
find  the  same  idea:  He  saved  us  "by  the  washing  of  re- 
generation," the  first  idea,  and  "the  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,"  the  second  idea. 

This  method  of  justification  enables  God  to  remain  just 
in  justifying  a  guilty  man.  If  we  could  not  find  a  plan  by 
which  God's  justice  would  remain,  then  we  could  find  no 
plan  of  justification.  How  do  we  understand  that  to  be 
done  upon  this  principle  of  substitution?  J.  M.  Pendleton 
in  his  discussion  of  this  subject  based  upon  a  passage  in 
the  letter  to  Philemon,  explains  it.  Paul  says,  "If  thou 
hast  aught  against  Onesimus,  put  it  on  my  account."  Now 
Philemon  can  be  just  in  the  remission  of  the  debt  of  Onesi- 
mus, because  he  has  provided  for  the  payment  of  that  debt 
through  Paul;  so  Christ  promised  to  come  and  pay  our 
debt  and  the  payment  is  reckoned  to  the  man  that  accepts 
Christ,  thus  showing  how  remission  of  sins  in  the  case  of 
O.  T.  saints  precedes  the  actual  payment,  or  expiation,  by 
Christ.  God  charged  Abraham's  debts  to  Christ,  and  Christ 
promised  to  pay  them  when  He  should  come  into  the  world. 
Abraham  was  acquitted  right  then.  So  far  as  God  was 
concerned,  the  debt  was  not  expiated  until  Christ  actually 
came  and  died.  In  our  case,  expiation  precedes  the  faith 
in  it.  He  expiated  my  sins  on  the  cross  before  I  was  born. 
There  came  a  time  when  the  plan  of  salvation  by  that  expia- 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  143 

tion  was,  presented  to  me,  and  I  received  it,  and  then 
remission  took  place. 

This  plan  of  salvation  by  faith  not  only  justifies  God,  but 
absolutely  excludes  any  boasting  upon  the  part  of  the  man. 
If  the  man  had  paid  the  debt  himself  he  could  claim  to  be 
the  cause  of  this  justification.  But  since  he  did  not  con- 
tribute one  iota  to  the  payment  of  the  debt,  there  is  no 
possible  ground  for  him  to  boast.  This  plan  brings  out 
God's  impartial  relation  both  to  Jew  and  Gentile,  since  both 
are  admitted  upon  equal  terms. 

We  come  to  an  objection  that  has  been  raised.  If  God 
acquits  the  man  without  his  having  paid  the  penalty  of  the 
law,  does  not  that  mak^  the  law  void?  His  answer  is  an 
emphatic  denial.  It  not  only  does  not  make  the  law  void, 
but  it  establishes  the  law.  How?  The  law  is  honored  in 
that  the  Substitute  obeys  it  and  dies  in  suffering  its  penal- 
ties. Further  by  the  fact  that  this  plan  takes  this  man 
saved  by  grace  and  gives  him,  through  regeneration,  a  mind 
to  obey  the  law,  though  it  may  be  done  imperfectly,  and 
then  through  sanctification  enables  him  to  obey  the  law 
perfectly.  It  fulfills  all  of  its  penal  sanctions  through  the 
one  who  redeems  and  through  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  in 
the  one  that  is  redeemed.  When  I  get  to  heaven  I  will  be 
a  perfect  keeper  of  the  law  in  mind  and  in  act.  We  can 
easily  see  the  distinction  between  a  mere  pardon  of  human 
courts,  which  is  really  contrary  to  law,  and  a  pardon  which 
magnifies  and  makes  the  law  honorable.  It  was  on  this  line 
that  I  once  preached  a  sermon  on  the  relation  of  faith  to 
morals,  showing  that  the  only  way  on  earth  to  practice 
morality  is  through  the  gospel  of  Christ.  So  we  see  that 
God  can  be  just  and  the  justifier  of  the  ungodly. 

Salvation  that  comes  up  to  the  point  of  justification  will, 
through  the  same  plan,  be  continued  on  to  the  judgment 
day.  In  his  argument  to  prove  that  God's  plan  of  salva- 
tion has  always  been  the  same,  Paul  illustrates  it  by  the  two 


144      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

most  striking  O.  T.  cases  that  would  appeal  to  the  Jewish 
mind,  one  of  which  is  the  case  of  Abraham's  conversion 
which  is  recorded  in  Genesis  15.  Up  to  that  time  Abraham 
was  not  a  saved  man,  though  he  was  a  called  man  and  had 
some  general  belief  in  God.  At  that  time  he  was  justified, 
and  he  was  justified  by  faith,  and  righteousness  was  imputed 
to  him;  it  was  not  his  own.  That  was  before  he  was 
circumcised,  and  it  deprived  him  of  all  merit,  and  made 
him  the  father  of  all  who  could  come  after  him  in  the 
spiritual  line.  He  proves  this  by  the  promise  to  Abraham 
and  his  seed,  and  shows  that  that  seed  refers,  not  to  his 
carnal  descendants,  but  to  the  spiritual  descendant,  Jesus 
Christ.  Then  he  goes  on  to  show  that  as  Isaac,  through 
whom  the  descent  flowed,  was  born,  not  in  a  natural  manner, 
but  after  a  supernatural  manner,  so  we  are  born  after  a 
supernatural  manner.  He  then  takes  up  the  further  idea 
that  that  was  the  only  way  in  the  world  to  make;  the 
promises  sure  to  all  the  seed. 

Take  the  thief  on  the  cross.  He  had  no  time  to  get 
down  and  reform  his  life.  He  was  a  dying  sinner,  and 
some  plan  of  salvation  must  be  devised  which  would  be 
as  quick  as  lightning  in  its  operation.  Suppose  a  man  is 
on  a  plank  in  the  deep  and  about  to  be  washed  away  into 
the  watery  depths.  He  cannot  go  back  and  correct  the 
evils  that  he  has  done  and  justify  himself  by  restitution. 
H  salvation  is  to  be  sure  to  him,  it  must  work  in  a  minute. 
That  is  a  great  characteristic  of  it.  David  was  their  favorite 
king.  His  songs  constituted  their  ritual  in  the  temple  of 
worship.  He  testifies  precisely  the  same  thing:  "Blessed 
is  the  man  whose  sin  is  covered,"  that  is,  through  pro- 
pitiation. Blessed  is  the  man  to  whom  God  imputeth  no 
transgression.  He  takes  these  two  witnesses  and  establishes 
his  case.  He  shows  that  the  results  of  justification  are 
present  peace,  joy  and  glory,  thus  commencing,  "Being 
therefore  justified  by  faith,  let  us  have  peace  with  God." 


NECESSITY  OF  SALVATION  145 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  judgment  is  referred  to  in  Rom.  2:6,  and  what  the 
proof  ? 

2.  Who  was  the  real  Jew? 

3.  What  advantage  had  the  Jew? 

4.  Did  all  Jews  avail  themselves  of  this  advantage? 

5.  Does  that  not  make  the  grace  of  God  of  none  effect,  and  why? 

6.  Does  the  doctrine  of  election  hinder  the  preaching  of  a  uni- 
versal gospel,  and  why? 

7.  If  the  loss  of  the  sinner  accrues  to  the  glory  of  God,  why 
should  he  be  judged  as  a  sinner? 

8.  What  is  Paul's  conclusion  as  to  the  necessity  of  the  gospel 
plan  of  salvation,  and  upon  what  does  he  base  it? 

9.  _  What  Paul's  conclusion  as  to  man's  depravity,  what  is  the 
meaning  of  total  depravity,  and  how  is  it  set  forth  in  this  passage? 

10.  What  his  conclusion  as  to  the  law? 

11.  What  then  his  summary  of  the  whole  matter? 

12.  What  the  theme  of  Romans  3  :  21 — 8 :39,  and  what  four  phases 
of  the  subject  are  thus  treated? 

13.  Is  there  a  righteousness  by  the  law,  what  the  relation  of  the 
law  to  righteousness,  and  to  whom  is  this  righteousness  offered? 

14.  How  do  you  explain  God's  partiality  toward  the  Jews  first 
and  then  toward  the  Gentiles? 

15.  What  the  terms  of  this  righteousness,  and  what  its  source? 

16.  What  is  this  phase  of  salvation  called,  and  what  is  the  ground 
of  it? 

17.  What  is  redemption,  and  what  does  it  imply? 

18.  What  the  meritorious  ground  of  our  justification,  and  upon 
what  does  the  effectiveness  of  it  depend? 

19.  What  the  difference  in  the  application  to  sins  before  justi- 
fication and  to  sins  after  justification? 

20.  What  is  justification,  where  does  it  take  place,  what  accom- 
panies it  in  the  sinner,  how,  what  its  elements  and  how  illustrated 
in  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments? 

21.  How  does  this  method  of  justification  by  faith  enable  God 
to  remain  just  and  at  the  same  time  justify  a  guilty  man? 

22.  What  J.  M.  Pendleton's  illustration  of  this  principle? 

23.  What  bearing  has  this  on  the  case  of  O.  T.  saints? 

24.  How  does  this  plan  of  salvation  exclude  boasting? 

25.  What  objection  is  raised  to  this  method  of  justification,  and 
what  the  answer  to  it? 

26.  How  is  the  law  honored  in  this  method  of  justification? 

27.  What  the  distinction  between  a  mere  pardon  of  human  courts 
and  this  method  of  pardon? 

28.  How  does  Paul  prove  that  the  plan  of  salvation  has  always 
been  the  same? 

29.  How  does  Paul  show  that  that  was  the  only  way  to  make 
the  promises  sure  to  all  the  seed? 

30.  What  the  testimony  of  David  on  this  point,  and  what  its 
special  force  in  this  case? 


XIII 

THE  GOSPEL  PLAN  OF  SALVATION 
Scripture:   Rom.  5 : 1-21 

THE  first  paragraph,  i-ii,  of  this  chapter  is  but  an 
elaboration,  or  conclusion,  of  the  line  of  argument 
in  chapters  3  and  4.  There  are  two  leading  thoughts 
in  this  paragraph :  ( i )  God's  method  of  induction  into  the 
grace  of  salvation.     (2)  The  happy  estate  of  the  justified. 

METHOD  OF   INDUCTION 

This  method  is  expressed  thus :  "Being  therefore  justified 
by  faith  *  *  *  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  through 
whom  also  we  have  had  our  access  by  faith  into  this  grace 
wherein  we  stand."  A  vital  question  is  here  answered — 
"How  do  we  get  into  Christ,  in  whom  are  all  the  blessings 
of  salvation,  each  in  its  order?"  The  corresponding  doc- 
trine to  our  getting  into  Christ  is  getting  Christ  into  us  to 
complete  the  union  with  Him  as  expressed  by  himself : 
"I  in  you  *  *  *  and  you  in  me,"  John  15:4.  The  names 
of  these  two  doctrines  are — 

1.  Justification  through  faith,  or  we  into  Christ. 

2.  Regeneration  through  faith,  or  Christ  into  us. 

Elsewhere  the  doctrine  of  "Christ  into  us"  through  re- 
generation is  presented  thus :  "Forasmuch  as  ye  are  mani- 
festly declared  to  be  the  epistle  of  Christ,  ministered  by  us, 
written  not  with  ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God ; 
not  in  tables  of  stone,  but  in  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart," 

147 


148      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

II  Cor.  3 : 3.  "For  God  who  commanded  the  Hght  to  shine 
out  of  darkness  hath  shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  hght 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  4 : 6.  "To  whom  God  would  make  known  what  is 
the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery  among  the  Gentiles, 
which  is  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory,"  Col.  i :  27. 

The  proof  that  the  method  of  this  induction  is  also  by 
faith  is  given  by  Christ.  When  Nicodemus  asked  as  to 
the  method  of  regeneration  Christ  answered,  "And  as  Moses 
lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the 
Son  of  man  be  lifted  up;  that  whosoever  believeth  may 
in  Him  have  eternal  Hfe,"  John  3:14,  15.  "Whosoever 
believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  begotten  of  God:  and 
whosoever  loveth  Him  that  begat  loveth  Him  also  that  is 
begotten  of  Him,"  I  John  5:1. 

"But  as  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  He  the 
right  to  become  children  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe 
on  His  name :  who  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will 
of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God,"  John 
1 :  12,  13.  Gal.  3:  26:  "For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God, 
by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ." 

But  the  Campbellites'  method  of  induction  into  Christ  is 
by  baptism,  based  on  Gal.  3:27;  the  Romanist  method  of 
induction  of  Christ  into  us  is  through  eating  the  Lord's 
supper,  based  by  them  on  the  words:  "Take,  eat,  this  is 
my  body.  *  *  *  Drink,  this  is  my  blood,"  and  on  a  mis- 
application of  John  6:53:  "Jesus  therefore  said  unto  them, 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of 
the  Son  of  man  and  drink  His  blood,  ye  have  not  life  in 
yourselves."  We  may  name  this  double  heresy,  salvation 
by  ordinances,  i.e.,  salvation  by  water  and  material  bread. 
The  truth  of  these  misapplied  scriptures  is  that  there  is  a 
double  method  of  induction,  viz. :  We  into  Christ  by  faith, 
and  Christ  into  us  by  faith,  symbolized  in  the  ordinances  of 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper. 


GOSPEL  PLAN  OF  SALVATION     U9 

THE   HAPPY  ESTATE  OF  THE  JUSTIFIED 

The  difference  between  the  common  and  the  revised  ver- 
sions of  Romans  5:1  is  a  difference  in  the  Greek  of  the 
length  of  one  letter  in  one  word  only,  i.  e.,  between  a  short 
"o"  (omikron)  and  a  long  "o"  (Omega),  and  if  the  text 
be  "Echomen,"  the  rendering  of  the  common  version  is 
right:  "We  have  peace  with  God."  If  it  be  "Echomen," 
the  Revision  is  right :  "Let  us  have  peace  with  God."  The 
best  MSS.  (Alexandrian,  Vatican  and  Siniatic)  have  the 
long  6  (Omega.) 

The  value  of  the  distinction  is  this :  The  common  version 
would  express  the  truth,  if  Umited  to  God's  sight.  The 
justified  truly  have  peace  legally  in  God's  eyes  as  soon  as 
justified.  But  the  danger  comes  in  extending  the  meaning 
to  our  realization ;  we  subjectively  realize  the  peace.  There 
is  a  time-difference  between  a  fact  and  our  cognition  of 
that  fact ;  as,  when  looking  at  a  man  half  a  mile  off  on  a 
prairie  firing  a  gun,  the  explosion  precedes  our  perception 
by  sight  of  the  smoke,  or  of  the  sound  by  the  ear.  The 
chickens  of  a  mover  whose  legs  have  been  tied  during  the 
day,  do  not  realize  that  they  are  free  as  soon  as  they  are 
untied.  The  sensation  of  being  tied  lingers  until  the  cir- 
culation is  restored. 

So  one  may  be  justified  in  fact  sometime  before  he  real- 
izes the  peace  to  which  justification  entitles,  as  the  experi- 
ence of  many  Christians  shows.  It  is  God's  purpose  that  we 
should  realize  it,  and  the  sooner  the  better.  To  affirm  that 
our  subjective  perception  of  an  external  act  is  necessarily 
simultaneous  with  the  act  is  to  limit  the  existence  of  things 
to  our  knowledge  of  things.  So  we  may  express  the  dif- 
ference between  the  texts  of  the  version  by  saying  that 
one  is  an  affirmation :  "We  have  peace,"  while  the  other 
is  an  exhortation:  "Let  us  have  peace,"  i.  e.,  justification 
now  entitles  to  peace,  but  we  need  to  lay  hold  of  it.    The 


150      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

fallacy  of  the  affirmation  consists  of  confounding  justifica- 
tion, which  is  God's  act,  with  subjective  peace,  which  is  our 
experience.  Objective  peace,  legal  peace,  necessarily  ac- 
companies justification,  but  it  may  not  be  subjective.  The 
battle  of  New  Orleans  was  fought  after  the  treaty  of  peace 
was  signed,  because  Sir  Edward  Packenham  and  Gen.  Jack- 
son did  not  know  it. 

I  will  name  in  order  all  the  elements  of  the  happy  estate 
of  the  justified: 

1.  Peace  with  God. 

2.  Joy  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God. 

3.  Joy  in  tribulation,  because  of  the  series  of  fruits 
which  follows. 

4.  The  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

5.  The  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts,  by  that 
given  Spirit. 

6.  The  assurance  that  the  justified  shall  be  saved  from 
the  wrath  to  come,  because : 

(a)  If  reconciled,  when  enemies,  much  more  will 
He  continue  salvation  to  friends. 

(b)  If  reconciled  through  His  death  much  more 
will  He  alive  deHver  us  from  future  wrath. 

7.  Joy  in  God  the  Father,  through  whose  Son  we  re- 
ceive the  reconciliation. 

THE  SEMINAL  IDEA  OF  SALVATION,  5:  12-21 

By  a  new  line  of  argument  the  apostle  conveys  assurance 
of  salvation  to  the  justified,  an  argument  based  on  our  sem- 
inal relations  to  the  two  Adams.  This  great  doctrine  is  ex- 
pressed thus :  ''Therefore,  as  through  one  man  sin  entered 
into  the  world,  and  death  through  sin ;  and  so  death  passed 
unto  all  men,  for  that  all  sinned,"  5 :  12.  "So  then  as 
through  one  trespass  the  judgment  came  unto  all  men  to 


GOSPEL  PLAN  OF  SALVATION  151 

condemnation ;  even  so  through  one  act  of  righteousness  the 
free  gift  came  unto  all  men  to  justification  of  life.  For 
as  through  the  one  man's  disobedience  the  many  were  made 
sinners,  even  so  through  the  obedience  of  the  one  shall  many 
be  made  righteous,"  5 :  18,  19.  If  we  combine  the  several 
thoughts  into  one  great  text  we  have  this :  By  one  oflfense 
of  one  man  condemnation  came  upon  all  men.  So  by  one 
act  of  righteousness  of  one  Man,  justification  unto  eternal 
life  comes  upon  all  men  who  by  one  exercise  of  faith  lay 
hold  on  Him  who  wrought  the  one  act  of  righteousness. 

This  text  startlingly  offends  and  confounds  the  reasonings 
of  the  carnal  mind  which  says, 

"i.  One  may  not  be  justly  condemned  for  the  offense  of 
somebody  else,  but  only  for  his  own  offense,  nor  justified 
by  the  righteousness  of  somebody  else,  but  by  his  own  right- 
eousness. 

"2.  Condemnation  must  come  for  all  offenses,  not  just 
one,  and  justification  must  be  based  on  all  acts  of  righteous- 
ness, not  just  one. 

"3.  To  base  a  man's  condemnation  or  justification  on  the 
act  of  another  destroys  personal  responsibility. 

"4.  The  doctrine  of  imputing  one  man's  guilt  to  a  sub- 
stitute tends  to  demoralization,  in  that  the  real  sinner  will 
sin  the  more,  not  being  personally  amenable  to  penalty. 

"5.  The  doctrine  of  pardoning  a  guilty  man  because 
another  is  righteous  turns  loose  a  criminal  on  society. 

"6.  The  whole  of  it  violates  that  ancient  law  of  the  Bible 
itself :  'Thou  shalt  justify  the  innocent  and  condemn  the 
guilty.'" 

If  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation,  fairly  interpreted,  does 
destroy  personal  responsibility,  does  tend  to  demoralize  so- 
ciety, does  encourage  to  sin  the  more,  does  turn  criminals 
loose  on  society,  does  not  tend  to  make  its  subjects  person- 
ally better,  it  is  then  the  doctrine  of  the  devil  and  should 
be  hated  and  resisted  by  all  who  respect  justice  and  depre- 


152      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

cate  iniquity.  But  the  seminal  idea  of  condemnation  and 
justification  grows  out  of  relations  to  two  respective  heads, 
and  it  results  from  varieties  in  creation,  thus: 

a.  God  created  a  definite  number  of  angels,  just  so  many 
at  the  start,  never  any  more  or  less,  a  company,  not  a  fam- 
ily, incapable  of  propagation,  being  sexless,  without  ances- 
try or  posterity,  without  brother  or  sister  or  other  ties  of 
consanguinity,  each  complete  in  himself,  and  hence  no  angel 
could  be  condemned  or  justified  for  another's  act.  The  act 
of  every  angel  terminates  in  himself.  Therefore  there  can 
be  no  salvation  for  a  sinning  angel.  And  hence  our  Savior 
"took  not  on  Him  the  nature  of  angels." 

b.  But  God  also  created  a  different  order  of  beings,  at 
the  start  just  one  man,  having  potentially  in  himself  an 
entire  race — a  countless  multitude  to  be  developed  from 
him.  And  in  propagating  the  race  he  transmitted  his  own 
nature,  and  through  heredity  his  children  inherited  that 
nature.  No  act  of  any  human  being  arises  altogether  from 
himself  or  can  possibly  terminate  in  himself.  In  considering 
heredity  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  has  said,  "Man  is  an  omni- 
bus in  which  all  his  ancestors  ride."  Moreover,  man  was 
created  to  be  a  social  being,  from  which  fact  arises  the 
necessity  of  human  government  whether  in  legislative,  judi- 
cial or  executive  power.  The  mind  can  conceive  of  only 
one  human  being  whose  act  would  terminate  in  himself, 
and  under  the  following  conditions  alone:  He  must  be 
without  ancestry,  without  capacity  of  posterity,  without 
kindred  in  any  degree,  without  relation  to  society,  living 
alone  on  an  island  surrounded  by  an  ocean  whose  waves 
touched  no  other  shore  from  which  society  might  come. 
How  much  more  the  head  in  whom  potentially  and  legally 
was  the  race  could  not  do  an  act  that  would  terminate  in 
himself. 

c.  The  creature  cannot  deny  God's  sovereign  right  to 
create  this  variety  of  moral  beings,  angels  and  man. 


GOSPEL  PLAN  OF  SALVATION  153 

d.  Nature  does  not  exempt  children  from  the  penalty 
of  heredity. 

e.  Human  law  neither  exempts  children  from  legal  re- 
sponsibility of  parents  nor  acquits  criminals  because  of 
hereditary  predispositions. 

The  context  bases  the  condemnation  of  all  men  on  the 
ground  that  all  sinned  in  Adam,  the  head,  and  so  having 
sinned  in  him  they  all  died  in  him.  The  context,  "And  so 
death  passed  unto  all  men"  (even  those  who  had  not  sinned 
after  the  similitude  of  Adam's  transgression)  is  the  distinct 
proof  of  our  proposition.  Only  one  person  ever  sinned  the 
sin  of  Adam  and  that  was  Adam  himself,  the  head  of  the 
race.  Now  as  proof  that  his  posterity  sinned,  in  him  death 
passed  upon  all  of  his  posterity  who  had  not  sinned  after 
the  similitude  of  his  sin,  that  is,  they  sinned,  not  as  the 
head  of  a  race,  but  from  depravity — an  inherited  depravity. 
Adam  didn't  have  that  inherited  depravity.  God  made  him 
upright.  Whenever  I  commit  a  sin  I  don't  commit  that 
sin  from  the  standpoint  of  Adam,  but  I  commit  it  on 
account  of  an  evil  nature  inherited  from  Adam,  and  that 
sin  is  not  after  the  similitude  of  Adam's  transgression. 
Moreover,  if  I  commit  a  sin,  the  race  is  not  held  responsible 
for  my  sin,  because  I  am  not  the  head  of  the  race.  The  race 
does  not  stand  or  fall  in  me.  Thus  there  are  two  particulars 
in  which  sins  which  we  commit  are  not  after  the  similitude 
of  Adam's  sin,  and  yet,  says  the  apostle,  with  his  inexorable 
logic,  "Though  they  don't  sin  after  the  similitude  of  Adam, 
yet  death,  the  penalty  of  sin,  passed  upon  every  one  of 
them."  The  law  was  executed  on  every  one  of  them ;  they 
died.  Sin  condemns  on  the  ground  of  the  solidarity  of  the 
law,  the  unity  of  the  law.  See  James  2:10:  "For  whoso- 
ever shall  keep  the  whole  law,  and  yet  stumble  in  one  point, 
he  is  become  guilty  of  all." 

Human  law  in  this  respect  conforms  to  divine  law.  If 
a  man  be  law-abiding  fifty  years  and  then  commits  one 


154      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

capital  offense,  his  previous  righteousness  avails  him  nothing. 
Nor  does  it  avail  that  he  was  innocent  of  all  other  offenses. 
If  a  man  were  before  a  court  charged  with  murder  he 
would  derive  no  benefit  by  proving  that  he  had  not  com- 
mitted adultery.  If  he  were  guilty  on  the  one  point,  his 
life  is  forfeited.  That  is  on  account  of  the  solidarity  of 
the  law.  Nor  does  it  avail  a  man  anything  in  a  human 
court  that  he  was  tempted  from  without.  So  Adam  vainly 
pleaded,  "The  woman  tempted  me  and  I  did  eat." 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  part  of  chapter  5  is  but  an  elaboration,  or  conclusion, 
of  the  line  of  argument  in  chapters  3  and  4? 

2.  What  the  two  leading  thoughts  in  this  paragraph? 

3.  How  is  God's  method  of  induction  expressed? 

4.  What  vital  question  is  here  answered? 

5.  What  the  corresponding  doctrine  to  our  getting  into  Christ? 

6.  What  the  names  of  these  two  doctrines? 

7.  How  elsewhere  is  the  doctrine  of  "Christ  into  us"  through 
regeneration  presented? 

8.  What  the  proof  that  the  method  of  this  induction  is  also  by 
faith? 

9.  What  the  Campbellites'  method  of  induction  into  Christ,  and 
on  what  scripture  based? 

ID.  What  the  Romanist  method  of  induction  of  Christ  into  us, 
and  on  what  scripture  based? 

11.  How  may  we  name  this  double  heresy? 

12.  What  the  truth  of  these  misapplied  scriptures? 

13.  What  the  difference  between  the  common  and  the  revised 
versions  of  Rom.  5:1,  and  what  the  translation  in  each  case? 

14.  What  the  value  6f  the  distinction?     Illustrate. 

15.  What  the  fallacy  of  affirming  that  subjective  peace  is  simul- 
taneous with  justification?    Illustrate. 

16.  What,  in  order,  are  the  elements  of  the  happy  estate  of  the 
justified? 

17.  By  what  new  line  of  argument  in  5:12-21  does  the  apostle 
convey  assurance  of  salvation  to  the  justified? 

18.  In  what  words  is  this  great  doctrine  expressed? 

19.  Combine  the  several  thoughts  into  one  great  text. 

20.  How  does  this  text  startlingly  offend  and  confound  the  rea- 
sonings of  the  carnal  mind? 

21.  If  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation,  fairly  interpreted,  does  destroy 
personal  responsibility,  does  tend  to  demoralize  society,  does  not  tend 
to  make  its  subjects  personally  better,  then  what? 


GOSPEL  PLAN  OF  SALVATION     155 

22.  What  the  explanation  of  the  seminal  idea  of  condemnation 
and  justification  growing  out  of  the  relations  to  the  two  respective 
heads  ? 

23.  On  what  ground  does  the  context  base  the  condemnation  of 
all  men? 

24.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  context,  "and  so  death  passed 
unto  all  men,"  etc.? 

25.  On  what  ground  does  sin  condemn,  and  what  the  proof? 

26.  How  does  human  law  in  this  respect  conform  to  divine  law? 


XIV 

THE  SEMINAL  IDEA  OF  SALVATION 
Scripture:   Rom.  5 :  12-21 

THE  one  offense  committed  by  the  first  Adam  was 
his  violation  of  that  test,  or  prohibition,  "Thou  shalt 
not  eat  of  the  tree  of  death ;  thou  shalt  not  experi- 
mentally know  the  difference  between  good  and  evil."  In 
other  words,  he  was  an  anti-prohibitionist.  The  law  com- 
menced with  an  absolute  prohibition,  and  it  didn't  avail 
Adam  a  thing  to  plead  personal  liberty.  Race-responsibility 
rested  on  Adam  alone.  It  could  not  possibly  have  rested 
on  Eve,  because  she  was  a  descendant  of  Adam,  just  as 
much  as  we  are.  God  created  just  one  man,  and  in  that 
man  was  the  whole  human  race,  including  Eve.  Later 
he  took  a  part  of  the  man  and  made  a  woman,  and  the 
meaning  of  the  word,  woman,  is  "derived  from  man."  When 
Adam  saw  her  he  said,  "Isshah,"  woman,  which  literally 
means  derived  from  man.  As  she  got  both  her  soul  and 
body  from  the  man,  being  his  descendant,  it  was  impossible 
that  the  race  responsibility  should  rest  on  her. 

If  only  Eve  had  sinned  the  race  would  not  have  perished. 
She  would  have  perished,  but  not  the  race.  The  race  was 
in  Adam.  God  could  have  derived  another  woman  from 
him  like  that  one.  He  had  the  potentiality  in  him  of  all 
women  as  well  as  all  men.  Some  error  has  arisen  from 
holding  Eve  responsible,  such  as  the  error  of  pointing  the 
finger  at  the  woman  and  saying,  "You  did  it !"  If  we  have 
ever  committed  this  error,  let  us  never  do  it  any  more.  The 
text  says,  "By  one  offense  of  one  man"  and  not  by  one 
offense  of  one  woman.    That  Eve  sinned  there  is  no  doubt ; 

157 


168      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

she  was  in  the  transgression.  To  the  contrary,  history 
shows  that  God  connects  salvation  with  the  woman,  and 
not  damnation.  He  said,  "The  Seed  of  the  woman  shall 
bruise  the  serpent's  head."  There  we  have  the  promise  of 
grace.  And  He  could  not  have  said  the  seed  of  the  man, 
for,  if  one  be  the  seed  of  a  man,  he  inherits  the  man's  fallen 
nature. 

This  fact  has  a  mighty  bearing  on  the  Second  Adam. 
When  the  Second  Adam  came,  the  first  and  virtually  essen- 
tial proof  was  that  a  woman  was  His  mother,  but  no  man 
was  His  father — God  was  His  father.  Ha  man  had  been 
His  father  He  would  himself  have  been  under  condemnation 
through  a  depraved  nature.  Mary  could  not  understand 
the  announcement  that  she  should  become  the  mother  of  a 
Savior  who  would  be  the  "Son  of  God,"  since  she  had  not 
yet  married,  until  the  angel  exclaimed :  "The  Holy  Spirit 
shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High 
shall  overshadow  thee :  wherefore  also  the  holy  thing  which 
is  begotten  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God,"  Luke  1:35. 
Hence  whoever  denies  our  Lord's  birth  of  a  virgin  and 
that  He  was  sired  by  the  Most  High  denies  the  whole  plan 
of  salvation  and  is  both  the  boss-liar  of  the  world  and  anti- 
christ. The  essential  deity  of  our  Lord  and  His  incarnation 
constitute  the  bed-rock  of  salvation.  It  is  the  first,  most 
vital,  most  fundamental  truth.  No  man  who  rejects  it  can 
be  a  Christian  or  should  be  received  as  a  Christian  for  one 
moment.  See  John  i :  I,  14;  I  John  4:1-3;  Phil.  2:6-8; 
I  Tim.  3 :  16. 

But  this  question  comes  up,  "Did  not  Jesus  derive  His 
human  nature,  through  heredity,  from  His  mother,  or  since 
she  was  a  descendant  of  fallen  Adam,  how  could  her  Son 
escape  a  depraved  nature?"  This  is  a  pertinent  question 
and  a  very  old  one.  It  so  baffled  Romanist  theologians  that 
they  invented  and  issued  under  papal  infallibility  the  decree 
of  "The  Immaculate  Conception,"  meaning  not  only  that 


SEMINAL  IDEA  OF  SALVATION  159 

Jesus  was  born  sinless,  but  that  Mary  herself  was  born 
sinless,  which  of  course  only  pushes  back  the  difficulty  one 
degree.  Their  invention  was  purely  gratuitous.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  case  to  call  for  a  sinless  mother.  Depravity 
resides  in  the  soul.  The  soul  comes,  not  from  the  one  who 
conceives,  but  from  the  one  who  begets.  This  is  the  very 
essence  of  the  teaching  in  the  passage  cited  from  Luke. 
The  sinlessness  of  the  nature  of  Jesus  is  expressly  ascribed 
to  the  Sire :  "The  Holy  One  who  is  begotten."  And  it  is  the 
very  heart  of  Paul's  entire  biological,  or  seminal,  idea  of 
salvation,  i.e.,  life  from  a  seed.  The  seed  is  in  the  sire. 
The  first  Adam's  seed  is  unholy;  the  Second  Adam's  seed 
is  holy.  Hence  the  necessity  of  the  Spirit-birth.  So  is  our 
Lord's  teaching  in  John  3 : 3-6 ;  8 :  44 ;  and  I  John  3 : 9,  and 
the  parable  of  the  tares  with  its  explanation.  Matt.  13 :  24-30, 
36-43,  and  especially  I  Peter  i :  23 :  "Having  been  begotten 
again,  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible."  The 
propriety  of  salvation  by  the  Second  Adam  lies  in  the  fact 
that  we  were  lost  through  the  first  Adam.  All  the  criticism 
against  substitutionary,  or  vicarious,  salvation  comes  from 
a  disregard  of  this  truth. 

Christ  met  all  the  law-requirements  as  follows: 

1.  By  holiness  of  nature — starting  holy. 

2.  By  obeying  all  its  precepts. 

3.  By  fulfilling  its  types. 

4.  By  paying  its  penalty. 

The  value  of  the  first  three  items  is  that  they  qualified 
Him  to  do  the  fourth.  If  He  had  been  either  unholy  in 
nature  or  defective  in  obedience  He  would  have  been  amen- 
able to  the  penalty  for  himself.  But  holiness  in  His  own 
nature  and  His  perfect  obedience  exempting  Him  from 
penalty  on  His  own  account,  He  could  be  the  sinner's  sub- 
stitute in  death  and  judgment:  "Him  who  knew  no  sin, 
God  made  to  be  sin  on  our  behalf ;  that  we  might  become 
the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him,"  II  Cor.  5:21.     "Ye 


160      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

were  redeemed  *  *  *  with  precious  blood,  as  of  a  lamb 
without  blemish  and  without  spot,"  I  Pet.  i :  i8,  19.  If  He 
answered  not  to  the  types,  He  could  not  be  the  Messiah, 

Christ's  one  act  of  righteousness,  which  is  the  sole  ground 
of  our  justification,  is  His  zncarious  death  on  the  cross. 
No  one  ought  to  preach  at  all — having  no  gospel  message — 
if  he  does  not  comprehend  this  with  absolute  definiteness. 
If  we  attribute  our  justification  to  Christ's  holiness,  or  to 
His  preceptive  obedience,  or  to  His  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
or  to  His  miracles,  or  to  His  kingly  or  priestly  reign  in 
heaven,  where  He  is  now,  or  if  we  locate  that  one  act  of 
righteousness  anywhere  in  the  world  except  in  one  place 
and  in  one  particidar  deed  we  ought  not  to  preach. 

The  one  act  of  righteousness — the  sole  meritorious  ground 
of  justification — is  our  Lord's  vicarious  death  on  the  cross, 
suffering  the  death-penalty  of  divine  law  against  sin. 

This  death  was  a  real  sacrifice  and  propitiation  God-ward, 
so  satisfying  the  law's  penal  sanctions  in  our  behalf  as  to 
make  it  just  for  God  to  justify  the  ungodly.  Our  Lord's 
incarnation,  with  all  His  work  antecedent  to  the  cross,  was 
but  preparatory  to  it,  and  all  His  succeeding  work  conse- 
quential. His  exaltation  to  the  throne  in  heaven,  His 
priestly  intercession,  and  His  coming  judgment  flowing  from 
His  "obedience  unto  the  death  of  the  cross,"  Phil.  2:8,9. 

The  particular  proof  of  this  one  act  of  righteousness  from 
both  Testaments  is  as  follows : 

I.  Proof  from  the  Old  Testament:  (i)  The  establish- 
ment of  the  throne  of  grace,  immediately  after  man's  expul- 
sion from  paradise,  where  God  dwelt  between  the  cherubim, 
east  of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  as  a  Schechinah,  or  Sword- 
flame,  to  keep  open  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life  (Gen.  3 :  24) 
and  was  there  acceptably  approached  only  through  the  blood 
of  an  innocent  and  substitutionary  sacrifice  (Gen.  4:3-5; 
compare  Rev.  7: 14;  22: 14),  which  mercy-seat  between  the 
cherubim  was  to  be  approached  through  sacrificial  blood, 


SEMINAL  IDEA  OF  SALVATION  161 

just  as  described  in  that  part  of  the  Mosaic  law  prescribing 
the  way  of  the  sinner's  approach  to  God  (Ex.  25:17-22). 

2.  In  the  four  most  marvelous  types : 

A.  The  Passover-lamb  whose  blood  availed  when  Jeho- 
vah saw  it  (Ex,  12:13,23)  showing  that  the  blood  pro- 
pitiated God-ward.    See  I  Cor.  5:7. 

B.  In  the  kid  on  the  great  day  of  atonement  (Lev.  16) 
which  shows  that  the  expiatory  blood  must  be  sprinkled  on 
the  mercy  seat  between  the  cherubim  as  the  basis  of 
atonement. 

C.  In  the  red  heifer,  burned  without  the  camp,  and 
whose  ashes,  liquefied  with  water,  became  a  portable  means 
of  purification,  Num.  19:2-6,  9,  17,  18,  with  Heb.  9:13, 
representing  that  first  and  cleansing  element  of  regenera- 
tion in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  applies  Christ's  blood.  See 
Psa.  51:2,7;  Ezek.  36:25;  Jno.  3:5  (born  of  water  and 
Spirit);  Eph.  5:26;  Tit.  3:5. 

D.  The  brazen  serpent,  fused  in  fire  and  then  elevated 
to  be  seen,  which  shows  that  the  expiatory  passion,  a  fiery 
suffering,  must  be  lifted  up  in  preaching,  as  the  object  of 
faith  and  means  of  healing,  Num.  21 : 9,  explained  in  John 
3:14-16;  12:32,33;  Gal.  3:1. 

3.  In  such  striking  passages  as  Isa.  53:4-11.  Compare 
the  Messianic  prayer:  "Deliver  my  soul  from  the  sword," 
Psa.  22 :  20,  with  the  divine  response,  "Awake,  O  sword, 
against  my  Shepherd,  and  against  the  man  that  is  my  fellow, 
saith  Jehovah,"  Zech.  13:7,  and  hear  the  sufferer's  outcry: 
"My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?"  Psa.  22 :  i 
and  Matt.  27:45,46.  When  these  passages  are  compared 
with  Isa.  53 :  5-10,  Rom.  3 :  25,  II  Cor.  5:21  and  I  Pet.  2 :  24, 
it  cannot  be  reasonably  questioned  that  He  died  under  the 
sentence  of  God's  law  against  sin,  and  that  this  death  was 
propitiatory  toward  God  and  vicarious  toward  man,  and  is 
the  one  act  of  righteousness  through  which  our  justification 
comes. 


162      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

2.  Some  of  the  New  Testament  passages,  including  sev- 
eral already  given,  are  our  Lord's  own  words  in  instituting 
the  memorial  supper:  "This  is  my  body  given  for  you. 
*  *  ♦  This  cup  is  the  New  Covenant  in  my  blood  ♦  ♦  * 
even  that  which  is  poured  out  for  you  *  *  *  which  is 
shed  for  many  unto  remission  of  sins."  We  need  to  add 
only  Rom.  3:25,  I  Cor.  1:30,  5:7,  I  Pet.  1 :  18,  19,  2:24, 
and  Heb.  10:4-14. 

The  combined  text,  "One  exercise  of  faith,"  means  that 
imlike  sanctification,  justification  is  not  progressive,  but 
one  instantaneous  act;  God  justifies,  and  our  hying  hold 
of  it  is  a  simple  definite  transaction.  One  moment  we  are 
not  justified;  in  the  next  moment  we  are  justified.  One 
look  at  the  brazen  serpent  brought  healing.  Zacchaeus  went 
up  the  tree  lost,  and  came  down  saved.  The  dying  thief 
at  one  moment  was  lost,  and  the  next  heard  the  words: 
"Today  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise."  At  midnight 
the  lost  jailer  was  trembling;  just  after  that  he  was  rejoic- 
ing believing  in  God  with  all  his  house.  There  is  no  appre- 
ciable time-element  in  the  transition  from  condemnation  to 
justification. 

Considering  Christ  as  a  gift,  how  long  does  it  take  to 
receive  Him?  Considering  Him  as  a  promise,  how  long 
to  trust?  Considering  Christ  as  the  custodian  of  an  im- 
perilled soul,  how  long  to  commit  it  to  Him?  Considering 
the  union  heiween  Christ  and  the  sinner  as  an  espousal  (II 
Cor.  II :  12)  how  long  to  say:  "I  take  Him?" 

As  a  marriage  between  man  and  woman  is  a  definite 
transaction,  consummated  when  he  says,  "I  take  her  to  be 
my  lawful  wife,"  and  when  she  says,  "I  take  him  to  be  my 
lawful  husband,"  so  by  one  exercise  of  faith  we  take  Christ 
as  our  Lord.  But  as  sanctification  is  progressive,  we  go 
on  in  that  from  faith  to  faith.  But  justification  through 
faith  in  a  substitute  does  not  turn  loose  a  criminal  on 
society.     If  it  be  meant  a  criminal  in  deed,  it  is  not  true, 


SEMINAL  IDEA  OF  SALVATION  16S 

because  to  the  last  farthing  the  law-claim  has  been  met  in 
the  payment  of  the  surety.  In  other  words,  the  law  has 
been  fully  satisfied.  If  it  be  meant  in  spirit,  it  is  not  true, 
for  every  justified  man  is  regenerated.  A  new  heart  to 
love  God  and  man  has  been  given,  a  holy  disposition  im- 
parted, loving  righteousness  and  hating  iniquity.  A  spirit 
of  obedience,  new  and  mighty  motives  of  gratitude  and 
love  are  at  work,  and  motive  determines  very  largely  the 
moral  quality  of  action.  In  other  words,  the  justified  man 
is  also  a  new  creature. 

It  secure  in  the  new  creature  the  only  basis  of  true  moral- 
ity. Morality  is  conformity  with  moral  law.  Immorality 
is  non-conformity  with  moral  law.  The  first  and  great 
commandment  of  moral  law  is  supreme  love  toward  God, 
and  the  second  is  love  to  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  No  un- 
regenerate  man  can  makt  a  step  in  either  direction  any 
more  than  a  bad  tree  can  produce  good  fruit,  for  "the 
carnal  mind  in  enmity  against  God  and  not  subject  to  His 
law,  neither  indeed  can  be."  The  unregenerate  is  self- 
centered;  the  regenerate,  Christ-centered.  The  justified 
man,  being  regenerate,  will  be  necessarily  a  better  man 
personally  and  practically  than  he  was  before  in  every 
relation  of  life — ^better  in  the  family,  better  in  society  and 
better  in  the  state.  A  claim  to  justification  without 
improvement  in  these  directions  is  necessarily  a  false 
claim. 

The  writer  in  2:17  has  already  introduced  the  word, 
"law,"  in  a  special  sense  when  discussing  the  case  of  the 
Jew  as  contradistinguished  from  other  nations.  And  this 
is  the  sense  of  his  word,  "law,"  when  he  says,  "For  until 
the  law  sin  was  in  the  world."  Law,  to  a  Jew,  meant  the 
Sinaitic  law.  But  the  apostle  is  proving  that  law  did  not 
originate  at  Sinai,  in  any  sense  except  for  one  nation,  as 
was  evident  from  sin  and  death  anterior  to  it.  First,  there 
was  primal  law  inhering  in  God's  intent  in  creating  moral 


164      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

beings,  and  in  the  very  constitution  of  their  being,  and  in 
all  their  relations.  And  this  law,  even  to  Adam  in  inno- 
cence, found  statutory  expression  in  the  law  of  labor,  the 
law  of  marriage  and  in  the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  as  well  as 
in  the  particular  prohibition  concerning  the  tree  of  death. 
Immediately  after  Adam's  fall  and  expulsion  from  Para- 
dise came  the  intervention  of  the  grace-covenant,  with  its 
law  of  sacrifices,  symbolically  showing  the  way  of  a  sinner's 
approach  to  God  through  vicarious  expiation.  There  were 
preachers  and  prophets  of  grace  before  the  flood,  as  well 
as  the  convicting  and  regenerating  Spirit.  All  these  ex- 
pressions of  law  passed  over  the  flood  with  Noah,  with 
several  express  additions  to  the  statutory  law  both  civil 
and  criminal.  Death  proved  sin,  and  sin  proved  law,  before 
we  come  to  Sinai.  Adam  was  under  law.  Adam  sinned 
and  death  reigned  over  him.  Adam's  descendants  down  to 
Moses  died.  Therefore  they  had  sinned,  and  therefore  were 
under  the  law.  But  their  sin  was  not  like  Adam's  in  several 
particulars:  (i)  They  did  not  sin  as  the  head  of  a  race. 
(2)  They  did  not  sin  from  a  standpoint  of  innocence  and 
holiness,  but  from  an  inherited  depravity.  (3)  They  sinned 
under  a  grace-covenant  which  Adam  had  not  in  Paradise. 
This  last  particular  is  here  emphasized,  where  grace  in 
justification  is  contrasted  with  the  condemnation  through 
Adam's  one  offense. 

If  then  the  Sinaitic  code  did  not  originate  law,  what  was 
its  purpose?  "The  law  came  in  besides,  that  the  trespass 
might  abound."  This  purpose  of  the  law  will  be  considered 
more  elaborately  later.  Just  here  it  is  sufficient  to  say 
that  the  Sinaitic  code  under  three  great  departments,  or 
heads,  is  the  most  marvelous  and  elaborate  expression  of 
law  known  to  history.  Its  three  heads,  or  constituent  ele- 
ments, as  we  learn  in  the  Old  Testament,  are — 

I.  The  decalogue,  or  moral  law,  or  God  and  the  nor- 
mal man. 


SEMINAL  IDEA  OF  SALVATION  165 

2.  The  law  of  the  altar,  or  God  and  the  sinner,  or  the 
sinner's  symbolic  way  of  approach  to  God,  including  a 
place  to  find  Him,  a  means  of  propitiating  Him,  times  to 
approach  Him,  and  an  elaborate  ritual  of  service. 

3.  The  judgments,  or  God  and  the  State,  in  every  variety 
of  municipal,  civil  and  criminal  law. 

So  broad,  so  deep,  so  high,  so  minute,  so  comprehensive 
is  this  code,  so  bright  is  its  light,  that  every  trespass  in 
thought,  word  and  deed  is  not  only  made  manifest,  but  is 
made  to  abound,  in  order  that  where  sin  abounded  grace 
would  abound  exceedingly. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  was  the  one  offense  committed  by  the  first  Adam? 

2.  On  whom  did  race-responsibility  rest,  Adam  or  Eve,  or  both, 
and  why? 

3.  If  only  Eve  had  sinned,  what  would  have  been  the  result? 

4.  What  error  has  since  arisen  from  holding  Eve  responsible? 

5.  What  to  the  contrary  does  history  show  ? 

6.  What  bearing  has  this  fact  on  the  Second  Adam? 

7.  How  could  Jesus,  being  born  of  a  depraved  woman,  escape  a 
depraved  nature? 

8.  What  the  propriety  of  salvation  by  the  Second  Adam  ? 

9.  How  did  Christ  meet  all  the  law  requirements? 
ID.    What  the  value  of  the  first  three  items? 

11.  What  Christ's  one  act  of  righteousness,  which  is  the  sole 
ground  of  our  justification? 

12.  What  particular  proof  of  this  one  act  of  righteousness  from 
both  Testaments? 

13.  What  does   the  combined  text  mean  by  "one  exercise   of 
faith?" 

14.  How  is  it  that  justification  through  faith  in  a  substitute  does 
not  turn  loose  a  criminal  on  society? 

15.  How  then  is  it  that  it  does  not  demoralize? 

16.  Explain  the  parenthetic  statement  in  5 :  13-17  and  also  5 :  20, 21. 

17.  If  the  Sinaitic  code  did  not  originate  the  law,  what  was  its 
purpose?  _.     .  .    , 

18.  What  the  three  constituent  elements  of  the  Smaitic  law? 


XV 

SALVATION  IN  US 
Scripture:  Rom.  6 :  i — 8 :  39 

WE  have  considered  hitherto  in  this  letter  what  salva- 
tion has  done  for  us  in  redemption,  justification 
and  adoption.  We  have  now  before  us  in  6 :  i — 
8:39  what  salvation  does  in  us  in  regeneration  and  sancti- 
fication  of  our  souls,  and  in  the  resurrection  and  glorification 
of  our  bodies. 

Two  questions  properly  introduce  this  section.  In  3:21 
he  says,  "But  now  apart  from  the  law  a  righteousness  of 
God  hath  been  manifested,  being  witnessed  by  the  law  and 
the  prophets."  In  view  of  this,  in  6 :  i  he  asks,  "What  shall 
we  say  then?  Shall  we  continue  in  sin,  that  grace  may 
abound  ?"  The  meaning  is  this :  Does  salvation  by  grace 
through  faith  in  a  debt-paying  substitute  encourage  to  more 
sin,  because  the  sinner  does  not  himself  pay  the  penalty, 
and  thus  by  more  sin  give  greater  scope  to  superabounding 
grace?  Or,  does  imputation  of  the  penalty  of  sin  in  a 
substitute  make  void  the  law  to  the  sinner  personally  ?  Or 
does  God's  justification  of  the  sinner,  through  faith,  instead 
of  his  personal  obedience,  turn  loose  a  defiled  criminal  on 
society  eager  to  commit  more  crime  because  his  future 
offenses,  like  his  past  offenses,  will  be  charged  to  the  sub- 
stitute? These  are  pertinent  questions  of  practical  impor- 
tance and  if,  indeed,  this  be  the  legitimate  result  of  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation,  it  is  worthy  of  rejection  by  all 
who  love  justice. 

While  we  have  already  considered  this  matter  somewhat, 
let  us  restate  a  reply  embodying  the  substance  of  this  sec- 

167 


168      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

tion.  The  reply  is  in  substance  as  follows :  Whom  God 
justifies  them  He  also  regenerates  and  sanctifies  in  soul  and 
raises  and  glorifies  in  body.  In  the  first  element  of  re- 
generation— the  application  of  the  blood  of  Christ  by  the 
Holy  Spirit — the  sinner  is  cleansed  from  the  defilement 
of  sin.  See  Psa.  51:2,  7;  Ezek.  36:25;  Tit.  3:5,  first 
clause.  "The  washing  of  regeneration,"  Eph,  5 :  26 ;  "born 
of  water,"  John  3 : 5,  all  of  which  is  set  forth  in  the  type 
of  the  red  heifer,  Heb.  9: 13,  14,  an  Old  Testament  teach- 
ing for  ignorance  of  which  Christ  condemned  Nicodemus, 
John  3:10.  See  also  Rev.  7:14  and  22 :  14,  revised  version. 
So  that  the  justified  man  is  not  turned  loose  a  defiled  crim- 
inal on  society. 

In  the  second  element  of  regeneration  the  justified  sinner 
is  delivered  from  the  love  of  sin  by  his  renewed  nature, 
Psa.  51:10;  Ezek.  36:26;  John  3:3,  5,  6,  "born  from 
above  *  *  *  born  of  the  Spirit ;"  Tit.  3 : 5,  second  clause, 
"and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  So  that  the  regenerate 
man  has  the  spirit  of  obedience,  Ezek.  36 :  27 ;  Tit.  2 :  11-14 ; 
3 : 8.  And  while  the  obedience  of  the  regenerate  is  imper- 
fect, yet  through  sanctification,  when  it  is  consummated, 
the  regenerate  in  soul  is  qualified  to  perfect  obedience,  Phil. 
1:6;  3:12-14;  II  Cor.  3:17,  18.  And  when  the  body  is 
raised  and  glorified  then  this  justified  sinner  has  become 
personally,  in  soul  and  body,  as  holy  and  obedient  as  Jesus 
himself,  I  John  3:2;  Psa.  17: 15,  all  of  which  is  pictorially 
set  forth  in  our  baptism,  Rom.  6:4,  5  ;  Col.  2 :  12.  So  that 
faith  not  only  does  not  make  void  the  law  to  us  personally, 
but  is  the  only  way  by  which  we  shall  be  made  able  to  keep 
the  law  personally,  and  not  only  does  not  encourage  to  sin, 
but  furnishes  the  only  motives  by  which  practically  we 
cease  from  sin. 

The  doctrine  of  baptism  as  bearing  upon  this  point  set 
forth  in  6:1-11  is  this:  A  justified  and  regenerate  man  is 
commanded  to  be  baptized.     Baptism  symbolizes  the  burial 


SALVATION  IN  US  169 

of  a  dead  man— dead  to  his  old  life — his  cleansing  from 
the  sins  of  the  old  life,  and  his  resurrection  to  a  new  life. 
Christ  died  on  the  cross  for  our  sins  once  for  all.  Being 
dead  He  was  buried,  raised  to  a  new  life  and  exalted  to  a 
royal  and  priestly  throne.  All  this,  in  the  beginning  of  His 
public  ministry,  was  prefigured  in  His  own  baptism.  As 
He  died  for  our  sins,  paying  the  law-penalty,  so  we  in 
regeneration  become  dead  to  law-claims  because  we  died 
to  sin  in  His  death.  Being  dead  to  the  old  life,  we  should 
be  buried.  This  is  represented  in  our  baptism :  "Buried  in 
baptism."  But  in  regeneration  we  are  not  only  slain,  but 
made  alive,  or  quickened.  The  living  should  not  abide  in 
the  grave,  therefore  in  our  baptism  there  is  also  a  symbol 
of  our  resurrection.  But  regeneration  not  only  slays  and 
makes  alive,  but  cleanses,  therefore  in  our  baptism  we  are 
symbolically  cleansed  from  sin,  as  was  said  to  Paul,  "Arise, 
and  be  baptized  and  wash  away  thy  sins."  So  that  not 
only  both  elements  of  regeneration,  cleansing  and  renewal 
of  soul  are  set  forth  pictorially  in  our  baptism,  but  also 
the  coming  resurrection  and  glorification  of  our  bodies. 

In  6:7  we  have  this  language:  "For  he  that  hath  died 
is  justified  from  sin."  That  means  that  there  are  two  ways 
in  which  one  can  satisfy  the  law  and  meet  all  of  its  claims. 
He  can  either  do  it  by  perfectly  obeying  the  law,  or  he 
can  do  it  by  meeting  the  penalty  of  the  law.  Therefore  it 
says,  "He  that  hath  died  is  justified  from  sin,"  It  is  just 
like  an  ordinary  debt.  If  one  pays  the  debt  he  is  justified 
from  the  claim.  If  a  man  commits  an  offense  and  the  law- 
decision  is  that  he  suffer  the  penalty  of  two  years  in  the 
penitentiary,  and  he  serves  the  two  years  in  the  penitentiary, 
he  is  justified  in  the  eyes  of  the  law.  The  law  can't  take 
him  up  and  try  him  again.  While  the  disobedience  of  the 
law  is  not  justified  in  obedience,  he  has  paid  the  full  penalty. 
Now  to  make  the  application  of  that :  Christ  died  for  our 
sins;  we  died  in  His  death,  just  as  we  died  in  Adam  and 


170      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

came  under  condemnation  for  it.  Now  when  we  die  with 
Christ,  that  death  on  the  cross  justifies  us  from  sin.  That 
is  what  it  means. 

The  next  point  is  the  argument  from  the  meaning  of  the 
declaration  that  he  that  is  dead  is  justified  from  sin.  That 
argument  is  presented  in  verses  12  and  13,  and  the  reason 
for  it  is  given  in  verse  14.  Let  us  look  at  those  verses. 
If  we  be  dead  to  sin  we  should  not  let  sin  reign  in  our 
mortal  body  that  we  should  obey  the  lusts  thereof.  Neither 
present  our  members  unto  sin  as  instruments  of  unrighteous- 
ness, but  present  ourselves  unto  God  as  alive  from  the  dead, 
and  our  members  as  instruments  of  righteousness  unto  God. 
The  reason  assigned  is,  "For  sin  shall  not  have  dominion 
over  you;  for  ye  are  not  under  law,  but  under  grace." 
In  other  words,  "It  is  true  that  you  didn't  pay  that  law- 
claim,  but  your  Substitute  paid  it,  and  that  puts  you  from 
under  the  law  of  condemnation.  Now  if  you  set  out  to 
pay,  you  set  out  to  pay  unto  grace.  The  spirit  of  obedience 
in  you  is  not  of  fear,  but  of  love  to  Him  that  died  for  you." 
That  is  what  is  called  being  under  grace  in  a  matter  of 
obedience  and  not  under  law. 

What  is  the  force  of  the  question,  "Shall  we  sin  because 
we  are  not  under  law,  but  under  grace?"  In  other  words, 
"Because  my  obedience  is  not  a  condition  of  my  salvation, 
shall  I  therefore  sin?"  That  is  the  thought,  and  his  argu- 
ment against  that  is  this :  "God  forbid.  Know  ye  not  that 
to  whom  ye  present  yourselves  as  servants  unto  obedience, 
his  servants  ye  are  whom  ye  obey;  whether  of  sin  unto 
death,  or  of  obedience  unto  righteousness?"  If  a  man  pre- 
sents himself  unto  grace  as  the  principle  of  obedience,  then 
it  is  not  a  life  and  death  matter,  but  it  is  a  matter  of  love 
and  gratitude.  It  is  on  a  different  principle  entirely.  And 
in  a  very  elaborate  way  he  continues  the  argument  down 
to  verse  23 :  "For  the  wages  of  sin  is  death ;  but  the  free 
gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 


SALVATION  IN  US  171 

Let  us  now  explain  the  contrast  in  6:23  and  give  the 
argument.  Here  he  contrasts  two  things,  (i)  the  wages. 
This  is  a  matter  of  law — wages.  (2)  Over  against  that 
stands  gift — free  gift.  That  is  not  a  matter  of  wages. 
The  wages  of  sin  is  death — that  is  the  penalty — ^but  now 
the  free  gift  is  eternal  life.  It  is  impossible  to  put  his 
meaning  any  plainer  than  these  words  put  it:  "Are  you 
expecting  to  be  saved  on  the  ground  of  earning  your  salva- 
tion as  wages,  or  are  you  expecting  to  be  saved  through 
the  free  gift  of  God  unto  eternal  life?"    That  is  the  thought. 

Let  us  see  the  force  of  the  illustration  in  7:2:  "For  the 
woman  that  hath  a  husband  is  bound  by  law  to  the  husband 
while  he  liveth ;  but  if  the  husband  die,  she  is  discharged 
from  the  law  of  the  husband.  So  then  if,  while  the  husband 
liveth,  she  be  joined  to  another  man,  she  shall  be  called  an 
adulteress;  but  if  the  husband  die,  she  is  free  from  the 
law,  so  that  she  is  no  adulteress,  though  she  be  joined  to 
another  man."  The  force  of  that  as  an  illustration  of  the 
married  life  is:  "What  God  hath  joined  together  let  not 
man  put  asunder."  The  obligation  of  a  wife  to  a  husband, 
and  their  fidelity  to  each  other,  is  a  matter  of  law  growing 
out  of  the  relation  that  holds  them  together.  So  long  as 
a  husband  lives  and  a  wife  lives,  neither  one  of  them  can 
be  free  to  marry  except  in  a  certain  case,  and  that  exception 
is  discussed  elsewhere.  He  is  just  discussing  the  general 
principles  here.  Now  apply  that  illustration:  "The  law 
holds  you  to  absolute  fidelity  in  obedience  just  as  the  law 
holds  the  woman  bound  to  her  husband,  and  the  husband 
to  his  wife.  If  you  died  with  Christ,  you  are  dead  to  that 
law,  and  therefore  you  can  enter  into  another  relation.  You 
are  espoused  to  Christ.  The  law  that  binds  you  now  is  the 
law  of  that  espousal  to  Christ,  and  that  is  the  law  of  free- 
dom; not  like  the  other,  it  is  a  matter  of  grace."  That  is 
the  force  of  that  statement. 

Then  in  ']'.'],  "Is  the  law  sin?"     That  is  an  important 


172      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

question  and  he  answers  it.  Some  things  in  connection 
with  it  have  already  been  answered,  and  in  answering  it 
particularly  I  will  take  the  following  position:  (i)  The 
law  is  not  sin.  It  is  holy,  it  is  just,  it  is  good.  What,  then, 
is  the  relation  of  the  law  to  sin?  He  says  here  that  it  gives 
the  knowledge  of  sin :  "I  had  not  known  sin  except  through 
the  law."  If  people  were  living  according  to  different 
standards,  every  man  being  a  judge  in  his  own  case,  what 
A  would  think  to  be  right  B  would  think  to  be  wrong,  and 
vice  versa.  People  would  think  conflicting  things,  and  as 
long  as  a  man  held  himself  to  be  judge  of  what  was  right 
and  what  was  wrong  he  would  not  feel  that  he  was  a  sinner. 
So  the  real  standard,  not  a  sliding  scale,  is  put  down  among 
all  the  varying  ideas  of  right  and  wrong.  What  is  the 
object?  It  is  to  reveal  the  lack  of  conformity  to  the  law: 
"I  had  not  known  sin,  except  through  the  law."  (2)  The 
second  reason  is  that  it  provokes  to  sin.  He  says,  "Sin, 
finding  occasion,  through  the  commandment  beguiled  me, 
and  through  it  slew  me."  If  children  were  forbidden  to 
climb  telephone  poles  they  would  all  desire  to  climb  them, 
and  they  would  never  think  of  it  if  they  were  not  forbidden. 
So  that  law  was  designed  to  show  just  what  inherent  nature 
will  bring  out.  A  snake  is  very  pretty  at  certain  times, 
and  one  may  think  that  the  enmity  between  him  and  the 
human  race  is  hardly  justifiable,  but  let  him  give  a  snake 
the  opportunity  to  develop  just  what  is  in  him,  and  then 
he  will  have  a  different  opinion.  Who  would  have  sup- 
posed that  it  was  in  human  nature  to  do  the  things  done 
in  the  French  Revolution  ?  Man  is  a  good  sort  of  creature ; 
he  would  not  impale  a  body  on  a  bayonet;  he  would  not 
bum  a  woman  at  the  stake ;  he  would  not  put  their  fingers 
in  a  thumb-screw ;  he  would  not  put  a  man  on  the  rack 
and  torture  him;  but  nobody  knows  the  evil  that  is  in 
human  nature  until  it  has  a  chance  to  show  what  is  in  it. 
The  law  brings  all  that  out;  hence,  (3)  the  object  of  the 


SALVATION  IN  US  178 

law  is  to  make  sin  appear  to  be  sin,  and  to  be  exceeding 
sinful — ^to  make  it  seem  what  it  is,  and  not  just  a  peccadillo, 
or  a  misdemeanor,  but  an  exceedingly  vile,  ghastly  and 
hateful  thing.  (4)  Then  the  object  of  the  law  is  to  work 
death :  "Sin,  taking  occasion  by  the  law,  beguiled  and  slew 
me."  The  death  there  referred  to  is  the  death  in  one's  own 
mind.  It  means  conviction  that  one  is  lost — that  is  the 
death  he  is  talking  about.  For  he  explains  immediately, 
where  he  says,  "I  was  aHve  apart  from  the  law  once,"  that 
is,  he  felt  like  he  was  all  right,  but  when  the  commandment 
came  he  saw  that  he  was  a  dead  man — under  condemnation 
of  death.  And  that  is  one  of  the  works  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
bringing  about  conviction,  making  a  man  see  that  he  is  a 
sinner,  making  him  feel  that  he  is  a  sinner,  that  he  is 
exceeding  sinful. 

And  we  may  distrust  any  kind  of  preaching  that  is  dry- 
eyed,  that  has  no  godly  sorrow,  that  has  no  repentance.  If 
one  thinks  that  he  is  a  very  little  sinner,  then  a  very  little 
Savior  is  needed.  We  depreciate  our  Savior  just  to  the 
extent  that  we  extenuate  our  sin. 

The  next  passage  is  also  of  real  importance,  7:15-25. 
There  is  only  one  important  question  on  it:  "Is  the  expe- 
rience there  related  the  experience  of  a  converted  man,  or 
of  an  unconverted  man?"  If  one  wants  to  see  how  men 
dissent  on  it,  let  him  read  his  commentaries. 

Let  us  see  some  of  the  points :  "That  which  I  do  I  know 
not  [the  word,  "know,"  is  used  in  the  sense  of  approve]  ; 
for  not  what  I  would,  that  do  I  practise ;  but  what  I  hate, 
that  I  do.  But  if  what  I  would  not,  that  I  do,  I  consent 
unto  the  law  that  it  is  good.  So  now  it  is  no  more  I  that 
do  it,  but  sin  which  dwelleth  in  me.  *  *  *  For  the  good 
which  I  would  I  do  not :  but  the  evil  which  I  would  not,  that 
I  practise.  But  if  what  I  would  not,  that  I  do,  it  is  no  more  I 
that  do  it,  but  sin  which  dwelleth  in  me.  I  find  then  the 
law,  that,  to  me  who  would  do  good,  evil  is  present.    For  I 


174      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

delight  in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inward  man."     Now 
is  that  a  saved  or  an  unsaved  man?    Our  Methodist  breth- 
ren tell  us  that  that  is  the  experience  of  an  unsaved  man ; 
that  we  don't  get  to  conversion  until  we  come  to  chapter  8.    I 
say  that  there  we  strike  sanctification.     The  point  is  this : 
If  the  mind  of  the  flesh — the  carnal  mind — is  enmity  against 
God,  if  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  and  neither 
indeed  can  be,  then  how  can  that  mind,  "delight  in  the  law 
of  God  in  the  inward  man?"     How  can  he  approve  that 
which  is  good?     From  verse  i6  to  the  end  of  chapter  7 
he  discusses  a  certain  imperfection  attending  the  regenerate 
state.     The  experience  of  every  regenerate  man  will  cor- 
roborate this:     "I  know  a  certain  thing  is  right;    I  am 
ashamed  to  say  I  didn't  do  it ;   I  know  a  certain  thing  is 
wrong,  and  I  approve  the  law  that  makes  it  wrong,  and  I 
am  ashamed  to  say  I  have  done  that  very  thing."    And  if 
there  is  one  thing  that  disturbs  the  Christian  and  troubles 
him,  it  is  to  find  a  law  in  his  members  warring  against  the 
law  of  his  mind.    That  is  expressed  here :  "Wretched  man 
that  I  am!    Who  shall  deliver  me  out  of  the  body  of  this 
death?"    That  expression  of  Paul's  has  been  (and  I  think 
rightly)   supposed  to  refer  to  an  ancient  penalty  inflicted 
on  a  man  that  had  committed  a  certain  offense.     He  was 
chained  to  a  dead  body,  and  he  had  to  carry  that  dead 
body  with  him  everywhere  he  went.     He  alive,  that  body 
dead,  he  would  want  a  pure  atmosphere  to  inhale,  and  that 
body  would  be  exhaling  the  stench  of  corruption.     It  was 
a  miserable  condition:    "Who  will  deliver  me  from  this 
body  of  death  ?" 

One  of  the  great  French  preachers  preached  on  that  sub- 
ject before  Louis  XIV.  We  find  a  references  to  it  in 
Strong's  "Systematic  Theology."  He  was  talking  about 
the  two  "I's ;"  "that  which  /  approve  /  do  not ;  that  which 
/  would  not  do  that  /  do."  And  the  French  preacher  was 
pointing  out  the  two  men  in  a  man,  and  how  they  fought 


SALVATION  IN  US  175 

against  each  other,  and  the  king  interrupted  him  in  his 
sermon  and  said,  "Ah,  I  know  those  two  men."  The 
preacher  pointed  at  him  and  said,  "Sire,  it  is  somewhat  to 
know  them,  but,  your  majesty,  one  or  the  other  of  them 
must  die."  It  isn't  enough  just  to  know  them;  one  or  the 
other  of  them  is  going  to  ultimately  triumph. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  8:4:  "That  the  ordinance  of 
the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not  after  the 
flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit?"  Here  is  the  fulfillment  in  us. 
It  is  not  imputed  righteousness  that  is  being  discussed  here ; 
that  is  justification.  But  it  is  the  object  of  regeneration 
and  sanctification  to  make  a  personal  righteousness.  The 
object  of  regeneration  and  sanctification  is  that  in  us  the 
law  might  be  fulfilled  as  well  as  for  us  in  the  death  of 
Christ.  That  is  the  meaning  of  the  passage,  and  it  is  one 
of  the  profoundest  gratifications  to  me  that  my  salvation 
does  not  stop  at  justification.  I  am  glad  to  think  that  the 
law  has  no  claims  on  me,  but  I  could  not  be  happy,  being 
only  justified  and  loving  sin.  I  not  only  want  to  be  deliv- 
ered from  sin  but  from  the  love  of  sin  in  regeneration,  and 
the  dominion  of  sin  in  sanctification. 

The  apostle  describes  the  two  minds  in  8 : 5-8 :  "For  they 
that  are  after  the  flesh  mind  the  things  of  the  flesh."  Here 
flesh  does  not  mean  the  body.  The  flesh  does  not  mean  the 
tissues  and  the  blood.  That  would  constitute  only  a  phys- 
ical man.  What  he  means  by  the  flesh  is  the  carnal  mind. 
Now  he  is  discussing  the  two.  He  continues:  "But  they 
that  are  after  the  Spirit  the  things  of  the  Spirit."  There 
are  the  two  minds :  "For  the  mind  of  the  flesh  is  death ;  but 
the  mind  of  the  Spirit  is  life  and  peace:  because  the  mind 
of  the  flesh  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  it  be;  they  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God." 
It  is  just  like  trying  to  wash  away  the  soul's  sins  in  water. 

IVe  might  take  the  sinner  up  and  hold  him  under  Niagara 
Falls  and  let  it  pour  on  him  for  ten  thousand  years  and  we 


176      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

could  never  wash  away  the  sotds  sins.  It  was  impossible 
for  the  blood  of  bullocks  to  take  away  sin.  It  is  impossible 
for  the  water  of  baptism  to  take  away  sin.  This  carnal  mind 
cannot  be  made  into  a  Christian.  We  can  whitewash  it,  and 
there  are  many  preachers  that  do  that  sort  of  busitiess.  It 
may  be  outwardly  beautiful,  like  a  tomb,  but  inwardly  it  is 
full  of  rottenness  and  dead  men's  bones. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  has  been  considered  in  this  letter  hitherto? 

2.  What  now  before  us  in  6:  1—8-39? 

3.  What  two  questions  properly  introduce  this  section,  and  what 
their  meaning? 

4.  What  of  the  significance  of  these  questions? 

5.  What  the  reply  to  them  embodying  the  substance  of  this  sec- 
tion? 

6.  What  the  doctrine  of  baptism  bearing  upon  this  point  set 
forth  in  6:1-11? 

7.  What  the  meaning  of  6:7:  "He  that  hath  died  is  justified 
from  sin?" 

8.  What  the  argument  based  upon  that  statement? 

9.  What  the  force  of  the  question,  "Shall  we  sin  because  we 
are  not  under  law,  but  under  grace?" 

10.  What  the  contrast  and  argument  in  6:23? 

11.  What  is  the  illustration  in  7:2,  and  what  the  force  of  it? 

12.  Is  the  law  sin?    If  not,  what  its  relation  to  sin? 

13.  Expound  the  passage,  7:15-25. 

14.  What  is  the  meaning  and  application  of  8:4? 

15.  How  does  the  apostle  describe  the  two  minds,  and  what  the 
teaching? 


XVI 

SALVATION  IN  US 
(Continued) 

Scriptitre:  Rom.  6 :  i — 8 :  39 

IN  this  chapter  we  will  continue  the  discussion  of  salva- 
tion in  us,  or  regeneration,  sanctification,  and  glorifica- 
tion. Regeneration  is  a  change  of  mind.  The  carnal 
mind  cannot  be  made  into  a  Christian,  hence  there  must 
be  a  change.  Is  the  change  simply  using  the  old  mind,  but 
modifying  it,  or  is  it  a  change  like  this :  A  woman  put  her 
baby  in  the  cradle  at  night  and  the  next  morning  there  was 
another  baby  in  the  cradle  which  she  called  the  changeling? 
That  was  not  any  imitation  of  the  baby  that  was  in  there 
before.  Just  so  we  waste  our  time  if  we  try  to  make  a 
Christian  out  of  the  carnal  mind.  We  can't  do  it.  That 
is  why  regeneration  is  called  a  creation,  which  is  to  make 
something  out  of  nothing — not  out  of  a  material  having 
already  existed. 

What  Paul  is  expressing  here  is  that  we  may  take  the 
fallen  nature  of  man  which  he  has  inherited  from  Adam  and 
commence  an  educational  process  in  the  cradle,  and  con- 
tinue it  up  to  the  adult  stage  and  get  a  very  respectable 
church  member,  but  not  a  saved  person. 

Education  has  no  creative  power  at  all.  He  may  be  very 
proper  in  his  behavior ;  he  may  pay  the  preacher ;  he  may 
go  to  Sunday  school ;  he  may  do  everything  in  the  world 
that  will  enable  him  to  appear  to  be  a  Christian,  and  yet 
not  be  a  Christian.    There  must  be  a  breaking  up  of  the 

177 


178      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

fallow  ground.  As  Jesus  said  to  Nicodemus,  "Except  ye 
be  born  from  above,  ye  cannot  even  see  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 

The  conclusion  reached  by  the  apostle  in  this  argument 
is  in  verse  ii :  "If  the  Spirit  of  Him  that  raised  up  Jesus 
from  the  dead  dwelleth  in  you,  He  that  raised  up  Christ 
Jesus  from  the  dead  shall  give  life  also  to  your  mortal 
bodies  through  His  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you."  Now  the 
question,  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death, 
this  evil  mind,  this  evil  body?  It  comes  through  Christ, 
but  it  is  Christ  working  through  the  Spirit.  It  is  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  made  Christ's  body  alive;  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  will  make  our  bodies  alive  at  the  resurrection;  it  is 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  will  glorify  these  bodies  and  when 
they  come  out  they  will  be  spiritual  bodies  and  not  carnal 
bodies. 

There  is  a  test  presented  in  verse  14:  "For  as  many  as 
are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  these  are  sons  of  God."  Who 
are  God's  children  ?  Those  that  have  the  Spirit — those  that 
are  led  by  the  Spirit.  We  are  regenerated  by  the  Spirit, 
and  under  the  guidance  of  that  Spirit  we  turn  away  from 
sin.  If  we  fall  we  try  to  fall  toward  heaven,  and  get  up 
and  try  again.  There  is  a  sense  of  wanting  to  get  nearer 
and  nearer  to  God.  We  want  to  know  whether  we  are 
Christians.  Here  is  the  test:  We  are  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  God. 

That  brings  us  to  the  word,  "adoption."  What  is  adop- 
tion ?  Etymologically  it  is  that  legal  process  by  which  one, 
not  a  member  of  a  family  naturally,  is  legally  made  a  mem- 
ber of  it  and  an  heir.  There  are  three  kinds  of  adoption 
which  the  apostle  discusses  in  this  letter:  (i)  National 
adoption,  Romans  9:4:  "My  kinsman  according  to  the  flesh 
who  are  Israelites,  whose  is  the  adoption."  Many  times  in 
the  Old  Testament  Israel  is  called  God's  son,  the  nation 
as  a  nation  being  His  particular  people. 


SALVATION  IN  US  179 

2.  The  adoption  of  the  soul  of  the  justified  man,  Rom. 
8:15:    "Ye  received  the  spirit  of  adoption." 

3.  The  adoption  of  our  bodies  when  they  are  redeemed 
from  the  grave  and  glorified,  Rom.  8 :  23 :  "Waiting  for  our 
adoption,  towit,  the  redemption  of  our  body." 

The  fact  of  our  adoption  is  certified  to  us  in  Rom.  8: 15, 
16:  "For  ye  received  not  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  unto 
fear;  but  ye  received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we 
cry,  Abba,  Father.  The  Spirit  himself  beareth  witness  with 
our  spirit,  that  we  are  children  of  God."  That  is  a  matter 
of  our  subjective  experience.  As  in  the  case  of  justifica- 
tion there  must  be  a  difference  of  time  between  the  fact 
of  our  justification  and  our  realization  of  its  privileges,  so 
there  must  be  and  indeed  often  is  a  difference  in  time  be- 
tween the  fact  of  our  adoption  and  our  realization  in  expe- 
rience that  we  are  adopted.  The  cry,  "Abba,  Father," 
means  that  in  our  experience  a  filial  feeling  toward  God 
comes  into  the  heart.  Antecedent  to  this  when  we  thought 
of  God  He  seemed  to  us  to  be  distant  and  dreadful,  but 
when  through  the  Holy  Spirit  given  unto  us  came  this 
conscious  realization  that  God  is  a  Father,  it  drove  out  all 
fear. 

We  do  not  feel  ourselves  under  bondage  to  law,  but  we 
have  the  sense  in  our  hearts  of  being  God's  children,  and 
as  a  little  child  readily  approaches  a  parent  in  expectation 
of  either  help  or  comfort,  we  have  this  feeling  toward  our 
heavenly  Father.  It  is  one  of  the  sweetest  experiences  of 
the  Christian  life.  There  is  no  distinction  of  meaning  be- 
tween the  spirit  of  adoption  and  the  Spirit's  bearing  wit- 
ness with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God,  or  if 
there  is  a  distinction  it  is  not  appreciable  in  our  conscious- 
ness, since  it  is  the  Spirit  that  bestows  that  filial  feeling. 

As  an  illustration  of  this  filial  feeling  in  the  heart  I  cite 
a  story  of  the  west  well  known  to  our  boys.  While  two 
children,  a  little  boy  and  his  sister,  were  playing,  the  boy 


180      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

was  stolen  by  the  Indians  and  reared  among  them  until 
he  caught  the  spirit  of  an  Indian  and  gloried  in  the  Indian 
life.  Finally  he  became  chief  of  the  tribe.  In  a  war  be- 
tween his  tribe  and  the  white  people,  he  was  captured  and 
it  was  discovered  that  he  was  not  an  Indian  but  a  white 
man.  Finally  the  proof  accumulated  as  to  who  were  his 
parents,  yet  he  refused  to  acknowledge  them.  With  the 
sullenness  of  a  captured  Indian  he  pined  away  for  the 
wigwams  and  the  freedom  of  his  Indian  life.  Every  effort 
to  make  him  realize  that  he  was  a  white  man  failed  until 
his  sister,  then  a  grown  woman,  brought  the  toys  with  which 
the  two  were  playing  when  the  boy  was  stolen.  As  he 
looked  at  them  his  memory  awakened  and  he  stretched  out 
his  hands  and  claimed  them  as  his  and  said,  "Where  is 
my  mother?"  Now  here  in  him  was  a  consciousness  of 
filial  feeling  towards  his  parents  from  whom  he  had  been 
so  long  alienated.  Analogous  to  this  very  impression  is  our 
experience  that  God  is  our  Father. 

In  a  vivid  way  the  apostle  represents  the  earth,  man's 
habitat,  as  entering  sympathetically  into  man's  longing  for 
his  complete  restoration  to  God's  favor  through  adoption, 
Rom.  8:20-23:  "For  the  creation  was  subjected  to  vanity, 
not  of  its  own  will,  but  by  reason  of  him  who  subjected  it, 
in  hope  that  the  creation  itself  also  shall  be  delivered  from 
the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the  liberty  of  the  glory  of 
the  children  of  God.  For  we  know  that  the  whole  creation 
groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  together  until  now.  And 
not  only  so,  but  ourselves  also,  who  have  the  first  fruits 
of  the  Spirit,  even  we  ourselves  groan  within  ourselves, 
waiting  for  our  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our 
body,"  the  meaning  of  which  is  that  this  earth  was  made 
for  man ;  to  him  was  given  dominion  over  it,  but  when  he 
sinned  the  earth  was  cursed.  In  the  language  of  the  scrip- 
ture, "Cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake;  in  toil  shalt 
thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life;   thorns  also  and 


SALVATION  IN  US  181 

thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  to  thee;  in  the  sweat  of  thy 
face  shalt  thou  eat  bread."  In  Isa.  55 :  12,  13,  we  have  this 
vivid  imagery  following  conversion :  "The  mountains  and 
the  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  into  singing;  and 
all  of  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands.  Instead 
of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir-tree;  and  instead  of  the 
brier  shall  come  up  the  myrtle  tree ;  and  it  shall  be  to 
Jehovah  for  a  name,  for  an  everlasting  sign  that  shall  not 
be  cut  of¥."  In  other  words,  the  joy  that  is  in  the  heart 
of  the  Christian  constitutes  a  medium  of  rose-color  through 
which  all  creation  seems  to  him  more  beautiful  than  it 
was  before.  The  birds  sing  sweeter,  the  flowers  exhale  a 
sweeter  perfume,  the  stars  shine  brighter,  all  of  which  is 
a  sign,  or  forecast,  of  the  redemption  of  the  earth  from 
the  curse  when  man's  redemption  is  complete.  This  curse 
as  originally  pronounced  upon  the  earth  was  not  through 
any  fault  of  creation,  as  our  text  says:  "Subjected  to 
vanity,  not  of  its  own  will,  but  by  reason  of  him  who  had 
subjected  it  in  hope."  And  very  impressive  and  vivid  is 
the  imagery  that  the  groaning  of  the  earth  is  as  travail, 
waiting  to  be  redeemed  from  the  defilement  and  scars  and 
crimson  stains  that  have  been  put  upon  it  through  man's 
inhumanity  to  man  on  account  of  sin. 

Other  scriptures  very  clearly  show  that  this  redemption 
of  the  earth  accompanies  the  redemption  of  man.  As  the 
earth  was  cleansed  from  defilement  of  sin  practiced  by  the 
antediluvians  through  the  flood,  so  at  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  and  the  resurrection  of  our  bodies  it  will  be  purged 
by  fire.  The  language  of  the  Apostle  Peter  upon  this  sub- 
ject is  very  impressive:  "For  this  they  willfully  forget 
that  there  were  heavens  from  of  old,  and  an  earth  com- 
pacted out  of  water  and  amidst  water,  by  the  Word  of  God ; 
by  which  means  the  world  that  then  was,  being  overflowed 
with  water,  perished ;  but  the  heavens  that  now  are  and 
the  earth,  by  the  same  word  have  been  stored  up  for  fire, 


182      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

being  reserved  against  the  day  of  judgment  and  destruc- 
tion of  ungodly  men.  *  *  *  But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will 
come  as  a  thief :  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away 
with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall  be  dissolved  with 
fervent  heat,  and  the  earth  and  the  works  that  are  therein 
shall  be  burned  up.  Seeing  that  these  things  are  thus  all 
to  be  dissolved,  what  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be 
in  all  holy  living  and  godliness,  looking  for  and  earnestly 
desiring  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,  by  reason  of  which 
the  heavens  being  on  fire  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  ele- 
ments shall  melt  with  fervent  heat?  But  according  to  His 
promise,  we  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness,"  II  Pet.  3:5-7,  and  verses  10-13. 
In  John's  apocalypse,  referring  to  the  restitution  of  all  things 
after  the  judgment,  he  says,  "I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth;  for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  are  passed 
away;  and  the  sea  is  no  more,"  Rev.  21:1.  This  is  the 
day  of  fire  referred  to  in  Mai.  4:1-3:  "For,  behold,  the 
day  Cometh,  it  burneth  as  a  furnace;  and  all  the  proud, 
and  all  that  work  wickedness,  shall  be  stubble;  and  the 
day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch.  But  unto 
you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  sun  of  righteousness  arise 
with  healing  in  His  wings;  and  ye  shall  go  forth,  and 
gambol  as  calves  of  the  stall.  And  ye  shall  tread  down 
the  wicked;  for  they  shall  be  ashes  under  the  soles  of 
your  feet  in  the  day  that  I  make,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts." 
This  is  the  day  of  fire  which  the  Apostle  Paul  says  shall 
try  every  man's  work:  "But  if  any  man  buildeth  on  the 
foundation  gold,  silver,  costly  stones,  wood,  hay,  stubble ; 
each  man's  work  shall  be  made  manifest ;  for  the  day  shall 
declare  it,  because  it  is  revealed  in  fire ;  and  the  fire  itself 
shall  prove  each  man's  work  of  what  sort  it  is.  If  any 
man's  work  shall  abide  which  he  built  thereon,  he  shall 
receive  a  reward.    If  any  man's  work  shall  be  burned,  he 


SALVATION  IN  US  188 

shall  suffer  loss:  but  he  himself  shall  be  saved;  yet  so  as 
through  fire,"  I  Cor.  3: 12-15. 

In  continuation  of  the  theme  of  this  section  the  apostle 
further  shows  the  power  of  the  work  of  salvation  in  us 
through  the  Holy  Spirit — ^the  Paraclete.  But  the  Greek 
word,  "Paraclete,"  needs  to  be  defined.  While  our  Lord 
was  on  the  earth  He  was  the  Paraclete,  to  whom  as  the 
Paraclete  the  disciples  said,  "Lord,  teach  us  to  pray,"  and 
in  many  examples  of  His  own  praying  and  in  many  special 
lessons  on  prayer  He  taught  the  disciples,  and  they  were 
sad  at  heart  when  at  the  last  supper  He  announced  His 
speedy  going  away  from  them,  but  comforted  them  with 
the  assurance  that  He  would  pray  the  Father  to  send  them 
another  Paraclete — the  Holy  Spirit,  who  would  teach  them 
to  pray  acceptably.  Prayers  not  according  to  the  will  of 
God  are  not  answered.  We  may  ask  for  things,  being  in 
doubt  as  to  whether  it  is  God's  will  that  such  things  should 
be  granted,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  in  doubt.  He  knows 
what  is  according  to  the  will  of  God,  and  hence  when  He 
moves  us  intensely  to  offer  prayers  those  prayers  will  always 
be  according  to  God's  will,  and  so  will  be  answered.  Thus 
While  Jesus  in  heaven  makes  intercession  for  us  before  the 
Mercy  Seat,  the  other  Paraclete — the  Holy  Spirit — ^here  on 
earth  makes  intercession  in  us.  We  are  not  to  understand 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  directly  prays  for  the  Christian,  but 
His  method  of  intercession  is  to  prompt  us  to  make  the 
right  intercession,  and  it  is  in  that  way  that  He  makes 
intercession  for  us.  He  teaches  us  how  to  pray,  and  what 
to  pray  for.  That  is  why  great  revivals  of  religion  are 
in  connection  with  these  spiritual  prayers  offered  by  God's 
people.  Hence  the  prophet  says,  "Thorns  and  briers  shall 
come  up  on  the  land  of  my  people  till  the  Spirit  is  poured 
out  from  on  high." 

The  most  vivid  illustration  of  the  thought  is  found  in 
the  prophecy  of  Zechariah  in  connection  with  an  event  yet 


184      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

in  the  future,  towit,  the  salvation  of  the  Jewish  natioa 
The  language  is, 

"And  I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of  David,  and  upon  the  in- 
habitants of  Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplication;  and 
they  shall  look  unto  me  whom  they  have  pierced;  and  they  shall 
mourn  for  Him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in 
bitterness  for  Him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  first-born.  In 
that  day  shall  there  be  a  great  mourning  in  Jerusalem,  as  the  mourn- 
ing of  Hadadrimmon  in  the  valley  of  Meggidon.  And  the  land  shall 
mourn,  every  family  apart ;  the  family  of  the  houses  of  David  apart, 
and  their  wives  apart;  the  family  of  the  house  of  Nathan  apart,  and 
their  wives  apart ;  the  family  of  the  house  of  Levi  apart,  and  their 
wives  apart;  the  family  of  the  Shimeites  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart;  all  the  families  that  remain,  every  family  apart,  and  their 
wives  apart.  In  that  day  there  shall  be  a  fountain  opened  to  the 
house  of  David  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  for 
uncleanness."  Zech.  12:10 — 13:1. 

It  is  on  account  of  the  Spirit's  intercession  in  us  that 
backsliders  are  ever  reclaimed.  As  we  wander  away  from 
God  we  lose  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and  while  we  go  through 
with  the  forms  of  prayer  we  are  conscious  that  our  prayers 
do  not  rise,  do  not  take  hold  of  the  throne  of  God,  but 
when  the  Spirit  comes  upon  the  backslider  then  his  hard 
heart  is  melted,  the  fountain  of  his  tears  is  unsealed,  the 
spirit  of  grace  and  supplication  comes  upon  him,  and  he 
is  conscious  that  he  is  taking  hold  of  the  throne  of  mercy 
in  his  prayers. 

As  an  illustration,  many  Texans  have  experienced  the 
hardships  of  a  long-continued  drouth,  when  the  heavens 
seem  to  be  brass  and  the  earth  seems  to  be  iron.  When 
vegetation  dies,  when  dust  chokes  the  traveler  on  the  thor- 
oughfare, and  thirst  consumes  him,  suddenly  he  comes 
to  a  well  and  in  it  is  an  old-fashioned  pump.  He  leaps 
down  from  his  horse,  rushes  to  this  pump,  but  in  moving 
its  handle  he  causes  only  a  dry  rattle.  The  reason  is,  that 
through  very  long  disuse  and  heat  the  valves  of  the  pump 
have  shrunk  and  hence  cannot  make  suction  to  draw  up 
the  water.  In  such  case  water  must  be  poured  down  the 
pump  until  the  valves  are  swollen,  and  then  as  the  pump- 


SALVATION  IN  US  186 

handle  is  worked,  suction  draws  the  water  as  freely  as  at 
first.  As  that  pouring  the  water  from  above  down  the 
dry  pump  is  to  its  efficacy  in  bringing  water  up,  so  is  the 
Spirit's  intercession  in  us,  causing  us  to  pray  successfully 
and  according  to  the  will  of  God.  In  that  way  the  two 
elements  of  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation  co-operate  to  the 
everlasting  security  of  the  believer.  At  the  heaven-end  of 
the  line  Jesus,  the  first  Advocate,  or  Paraclete,  makes  inter- 
cession for  us  as  High  Priest,  pleading  what  His  expiation 
has  done  for  us,  while  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  second  Advocate, 
or  Paraclete,  works  in  us  an  intercession  for  us  here  on 
earth.  So  that  both  ends  of  the  line  are  secure  in  heaven 
above  and  on  earth  beneath.  No  backslider  has  ever  been 
able  to  work  himself  into  the  true  spirit  of  prayerfulness 
any  more  than  a  dry  pump  can  be  made  to  bring  up  water 
by  working  the  handle.  Whenever  he  does  pray  prevail- 
ingly, it  is  when  the  Spirit  works  in  him  the  grace  of 
supplication. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  regeneration?  negatively  and  positively? 

2.  What  the  real  import  of  what  Paul  says  about  it? 

3.  What  the  conclusion  reached  by  Paul  in  this  argument  ? 

4.  What  is  the  test  presented  in  8:14? 

5.  What  is  adoption? 

6.  What  the  three  kinds  of  adoption  which  the  apostle  dis- 
cusses in  this  letter? 

7.  How  is  the  fact  of  our  adoption  certified  to  us? 

8.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  soul's  cry,  "Abba,  Father?" 

9.  Is  there  any  distinction  between  the  spirit  of  adoption  and 
the  Spirit's  bearing  witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children 
of  God?    If  so,  what? 

10.  Illustrate  the  filial  feeling  that  comes  to  us  when  we  are 
saved  ? 

11.  In  what  vivid  way  does  Paul  represent  the  earth,  man's 
habitat,  as  entering  sympathetically  into  man's  longing  for  his  com- 
plete restoration  to  God's  favor  through  adoption? 

12.  What  other  scriptures  very  clearly  show  this  redemption  of 
the  earth  accompanying  the  redemption  of  man? 

13.  In  continuation  of  the  theme  of  this  section,  how  does  the 
apostle  further  show  the  power  of  the  work  of  salvation  in  us  ? 

14.  Expound  and  illustrate  this  passage? 


XVII 

THE  FINAL  WORK  OF  SALVATION  IN  US 
Scripture:  Rom.  6 :  i — 8 :  39 

THE  final  work  of  salvation  in  us  is  expressed  in 
Romans  8 :  23 — the  redemption  of  our  body  con- 
cerning which  he  adds :  "For  in  hope  were  we  saved : 
but  hope  that  is  seen  is  not  hope :  for  who  hopeth  for  that 
which  he  seeth?  But  if  we  hope  for  that  which  we  see 
not,  then  do  we  with  patience  wait  for  it."  The  body  is  an 
essential  part  of  the  normal  man,  who  was  made  dual  in 
nature,  and  even  in  Paradise  God  had  provided  for  the 
elimination  of  the  mortality  of  man's  body,  through  the 
continued  eating  of  the  tree  of  life.  But  the  immortality 
of  the  body  in  sin  would  have  been  an  unspeakable  curse 
to  man,  and  hence  God,  in  expelling  man  from  the  garden, 
said,  "Lest  he  put  forth  his  hand  and  take  of  the  tree  of 
life  and  live  forever."  But  when  our  souls  are  regenerated 
the  hope  enters  the  heart  that  the  body  also  will  be  saved, 
and  we  wait  patiently  for  that  part  of  our  salvation.  While 
the  meaning  of  a  passage  in  Job  is  somewhat  disputable,  the 
author  believes  that  the  common  version  is  correct.  It 
expresses  the  idea  of  Job  in  these  words: 

"Oh,  that  my  words  were  now  written! 

Oh,  that  they  were  inscribed  in  a  book ! 

That  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead 

They  were  graven  in  the  rock  forever! 

But  as  for  me,  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  Hveth, 

And  that  He  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth: 

And  though  after  my  skin  worms  destroy  this  body, 

Yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God. 

Whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall  behold. 

And  not  another :  though  my  reins  be  consumed  within  me." 

Job,  19:2307. 

187 


188      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

And  the  passage  is  akin  to  the  expression  in  Psalm  17: 
"I  will  be  satisfied  when  I  awake  in  thy  likeness."  This 
harmonizes  with  another  very  striking  passage  in  Job : 

"For  there  is  hope  of  a  tree, 

If  it  be  cut  down,  that  it  will  sprout  again. 

And  that  the  tender  branch  thereof  will  not  cease. 

Though  the  root  thereof  wax  old  in  the  earth, 

And  the  stock  thereof  die  in  the  ground; 

Yet  through  the  scent  of  water  it  will  bud, 

And  put  forth  boughs  like  a  plant. 

But  a  man  dieth,  and  is  laid  low : 

Yea,  man  giveth  up  the  ghost,  and  where  is  he? 

As  the  waters  fail  from  the  sea, 

And  the  river  wasteth  and  drieth  up; 

So  man  lieth  down  and  riseth  not:  ■  ' 

Till  the  heavens  be  no  more,  they  shall  not  awake, 

Nor  be  roused  out  of  their  sleep. 

Oh,  that  thou  wouldst  hide  me  in  Sheol, 

That  thou  wouldst  keep  me  secret,  until  thy  wrath  be  pa^, 

That  thou  wouldst  appoint  me  a  set  time,  and  remember  me ! 

If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again? 

All  the  days  of  my  warfare  would  I  wait, 

Till  my  release  should  come. 

Thou  wouldst  call,  and  I  would  answer  thee : 

Thou  wouldst  have  a  desire  to  the  work  of  thy  hands."    Job,  147-15. 

Here  Job  is  deeply  impressed  with  the  hope  of  a  tree  cut 
down  reviving.  There  is  a  resurrection  for  it,  but  he  says, 
"When  a  man  dies,  where  is  he  [that  is,  as  to  his  soul]  and 
if  a  man  die  shall  he  [as  to  his  body]  live  again?"  Inasmuch 
as  the  body  was  the  work  of  God's  hands  and  originally 
intended  to  be  immortal,  he  expresses  the  hope  that  God 
would  hide  him  in  the  grave  and  appoint  a  set  time  to  re- 
member him  there  and  then  desire  the  work  of  His  hands 
and  call  him  forth  from  his  long  sleep. 

The  fulness  of  the  salvation  in  us  is  the  regeneration  of 
the  soul,  its  ultimate  sanctification,  and  the  resurrection 
and  glorification  of  the  body.  It  has  ever  been  impossible 
to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  a  human  heart  with  the  hope  of 
soul-salvation  only.  It  is  ingrained  in  the  very  constitution 
of  our  being  that  we  long  for  the  revivification  of  the  body. 
A  bird  escaping  from  its  shell  to  fly  with  a  new  life  in  the 


FINAL  WORK  OF  SALVATION  IN  US      189 

air  cares  nothing  for  the  cast-off  shell.  A  butterfly  emerg- 
ing from  the  chrysalis-state  cares  nothing  for  the  shell  that 
is  left  behind.  But  from  the  beginning  of  time,  through 
this  ingrained  hope  of  immortality  for  the  body,  man  has 
cared  for  the  body-shell  after  the  spirit  has  escaped.  It  is 
evidenced  in  the  care  for  the  dead  body  characteristic  of 
all  nations.  It  is  evidenced  in  the  names  given  to  grave- 
yards. They  are  called  cemeteries,  that  is,  sleeping  places. 
It  is  evident  in  the  sculpture  on  the  tomb-stones  and  in 
the  inscriptions  thereon,  all  tending  to  show  that  man  de- 
sires an  answer  to  the  question,  "If  I  die,  shall  I  live  again?" 
And  the  thought  being,  not  with  reference  to  the  continuity 
of  existence  in  his  spiritual  nature,  but  in  his  body.  Hence 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  made  in  the  Christian  sys- 
tem, a  pivotal  doctrine,  as  we  learn  from  the  Letter  to  the 
Corinthians :  that  our  faith  is  vain,  our  preaching  is  vain, 
we  are  yet  in  our  sins,  our  fathers  have  perished  and  God's 
apostles  are  false  witnesses,  if  the  dead  rise  not.  That  is 
the  conclusion  of  the  doctrine  of  salvation  in  us. 
All  the  rest  of  chapter  8  is  devoted  to  a  new  theme,  to  wit : 

THE  EVERLASTING  SECURITY  OF  THOSE   WHO  ARE 
JUSTIFIED  BY  FAITH 

The  argument  extends  from  verse  26  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter,  and  it  is  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  paragraph 
in  inspired  literature.  It  should  be  memorized  by  every 
Christian.  Every  thought  in  it  has  been  the  theme  of  con- 
solatory and  encouraging  preaching. 

Let  us  now  consider  item  by  item  this  argument  on  the 
security  of  the  believer : 

I.  He  takes  the  latitudinal  view,  from  top  to  bottom. 
Down  here  he  finds  a  Christian.  Up  yonder  at  the  other 
end  of  the  line  is  the  Advocate.  But  there  is  an  Advocate 
here  too.    And  these  Advocates,  one  here  on  earth  in  the 


190      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

depths,  and  the  other  yonder  in  the  heights  of  heaven,  are 
going  to  see  to  it  that  that  Christian  gets  there  all  right 
through  prayer  and  faith.  If  a  Christian  sins,  he  must  con- 
fess it  and  ask  God  to  forgive  him.  Sometimes  he  has 
not  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  does  not  feel  like  asking.  But 
God  provides  an  Advocate,  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  puts  into 
his  heart  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication.  And  the 
Holy  Spirit  not  only  shows  him  what  to  pray  for,  but  how 
to  pray.  That  makes  things  secure  at  this  end  of  the  line. 
Up  yonder  the  Advocate  in  heaven,  Jesus  Christ  the  right- 
eous, takes  these  petitions  that  the  Spirit  inspired  on  earth 
and  goes  before  the  Father,  and  pointing  to  the  sufficiency 
of  His  shed-blood  in  His  death  on  the  cross,  secures  this 
salvation  from  depth  to  height. 

2.  The  unbroken  sweep  of  the  providence  of  God :  "To 
them  that  love  God  all  things  work  together  for  good,  even 
to  them  that  are  called  according  to  His  purpose." 

With  Christ  on  the  mediatorial  throne  in  heaven  holding 
in  His  hand  the  scepter  of  tmiversal  dominion,  constraining 
everything — beings  in  heaven  above  and  on  the  earth  be- 
neath and  in  hell  below — to  work,  not  tangentially,  but 
together  for  good — not  evil — to  them  that  love  God,  in  the 
sweep  of  this  providence  all  elements  and  forces  of  the 
material  world  and  the  spiritual  world,  are  laid  under  trib- 
ute— fire,  earth,  air,  storms  and  earthquakes,  pestilences, 
good  angels  and  bad,  the  passions  of  men,  the  revolutions 
in  human  government — ALL  are  made,  under  the  directing 
pozver  of  Jesus  our  King,  to  conspire  to  our  good.  Fortune 
and  misfortune,  good  report  and  evil  report,  sickness  or 
health,  life  or  death,  prosperity  or  adversity,  it  is  all  one — 
the  power  of  God  is  over  them  all.  Saian  is  not  permitted 
to  put  even  the  weight  of  a  little  finger  upon  the  Christian 
to  worry  him  except  in  the  direction  that  God  will  permit, 
and  that  will  be  overruled  for  his  good. 

3.  This  sweep  of  providential  government  under  our 


FINAL  WORK  OF  SALVATION  IN  US      191 

mediatorial  King  accords  with  a  linked  chain  of  correlative 
doctrines  reaching  from  eternity  before  time  to  eternity 
after  time.  The  links  of  this  chain  are  thus  expressed  in 
verses  29,  30:  "For  whom  He  foreknew,  He  also  fore- 
ordained to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His  Son,  that 
He  might  be  the  first  born  among  many  brethren:  and 
whom  He  foreordained,  them  he  also  called;  and  whom 
He  called,  them  He  also  justified:  and  whom  he  justified, 
them  He  also  glorified."  Before  there  was  any  world,  a 
covenant  of  grace  and  mercy  was  entered  into  between 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  the  evidences  of  which  cove- 
nant are  abundant  in  the  New  Testament,  and  the  parts 
to  be  performed  by  each  person  of  the  God-head  are  clearly 
expressed,  viz. :  The  Father's  grace  and  love  in  agreeing 
to  send  the  Son,  His  covenant  obligation  to  give  the  Son  a 
seed.  His  foreknowledge  of  this  seed.  His  predestination 
concerning  this  seed,  His  justification  and  adoption  of  them 
here  in  time.  Then  the  Son's  covenant  was  the  obligation 
to  assume  human  nature  in  His  incarnation,  voluntarily 
renouncing  the  glory  that  He  had  with  the  Father  before 
the  world  was,  and  in  this  incarnation  of  humility  to  become 
obedient  unto  the  death  of  the  cross.  The  consideration 
held  out  before  Him,  as  a  hope  set  before  Him,  inducing 
Him  to  endure  the  shame  of  the  cross,  and  the  reward 
bestowed  upon  Him  because  of  that  obedience,  was  His 
resurrection.  His  glorification,  His  exaltation  to  the  royal 
priestly  throne  and  His  investment  with  the  right  of  judg- 
ment. And  then  the  Spirit's  covenant-obligations  were  to 
apply  this  work  of  redemption  in  calling,  convicting,  re- 
generating, sanctifying  and  raising  from  the  dead  the  seed 
promised  to  the  Son,  the  whole  of  it  showing  that  the 
plan  of  salvation  was  not  an  afterthought;  that  the  roots 
of  it  in  election  and  predestination  are  both  in  eternity 
before  the  world  was,  and  the  fruits  of  it  are  in  eternity 
after  the  judgment.    The  believer  is  asked  to  consider  this 


192      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

chain,  test  each  link,  shake  it  and  hear  it  rattle,  connected 
from  eternity  to  eternity. 

Every  one  that  God  chose  in  Christ  is  drawn  by  the  Spirit 
to  Christ.  Every  one  predestinated  is  called  by  the  Spirit  in 
time,  and  justified  in  time,  and  iinll  be  glorified  when  the 
Lord  comes. 

4.  It  is  impossible  for  finite  beings  to  say  anything 
against  the  grounds  of  this  security,  because  "If  God  is 
for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?"  Because,  "He  that  spared 
not  His  own  Son,  to  deliver  Him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall 
He  not  also  with  Him  freely  give  us  all  things?"  Then 
the  challenge  is  sent  to  the  universe  to  find  any  one  who 
can  lay  any  charge  against  God's  elect — who  in  heaven, 
who  among  the  angels,  good  or  bad,  who  on  the  earth? 
No  charge  can  be  brought  against  a  believer  because  it  is 
God,  the  Supreme  Judge,  who  has  justified  him.  Justifica- 
tion is  the  verdict,  or  declaration,  of  the  supreme  court  of 
heaven  that  in  Christ  the  sinner  is  acquitted.  This  deci- 
sion is  rendered  once  for  all,  is  inexorable  and  irreversible. 
It  is  registered  in  the  Book  of  Life,  and  in  the  great 
Judgment-Day  that  book  will  be  the  test-book  on  the  throne 
of  that  judgment.  Whatever  may  be  brought  out  from 
all  the  books  that  are  opened,  none  of  them  are  decisive 
and  ultimate  but  one — the  Book  of  Life — and  it  is  not  a 
docket  of  cases  to  be  tried  on  that  day,  but  is  a  register  of 
judicial  decisions  already  rendered ;  "and  it  shall  come  to 
pass  that  whosoever  is  not  found  already  written  in  that 
book  shall  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  Therefore  the 
thrill  excited  in  the  heart  by  that  song  which  our  congre- 
gations so  often  used  to  sing: 

"When  Thou  my  righteous  Judge  shall  come. 
To  take  thy  ransomed  people  home 
Shall  I  among  them  stand? 
Shall  I,  who  sometimes  am  afraid  to  die 
Be  found  at  thy  right  hand? 
O,  can  I  bear  the  piercing  thought, 
What  if  my  name  should  be  left  out!" 


FINAL  WORK  OF  SALVATION  IN  US      193 

5.  The  ground  of  this  salvation  is  what  Christ  does. 
Spurgeon  calls  this  34th  verse  of  the  8th  chapter,  the  four 
pillars  upon  which  rests  the  whole  superstructure  of  salva- 
tion. They  are,  (a)  The  death  of  Christ,  (b)  The  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  (c)  The  exaltation  of  Christ  to  the 
kingly  throne,  (d)  His  intercession  as  our  great  High 
Priest.  These  four  doctrines  are  strictly  correlative — they 
fit  into  each  other.  The  soul  of  the  Christian  does  not  at 
the  beginning  realize  the  strength  of  his  salvation.  Many 
a  one  has  simply  believed  on  Christ  as  a  Savior  without 
ever  anaylzing  in  his  own  mind,  or  separating  from  each 
other  in  thought,  the  several  things  done  by  Christ  in  order 
to  his  salvation.  But  as  he  grows  in  knowledge  of  these 
things,  he  grows  in  grace  and  assurance.  It  was  some  time 
after  my  own  soul  was  saved  before  I  ever  understood 
fully  the  power  of  Christ's  exaltation,  or  kingly  throne, 
and  still  longer  before  I  understood  the  power  of  His  inter- 
cession. I  got  to  the  comfort  of  this  last  thought  one  day 
in  reading  a  passage  in  Hebrews.  "Wherefore  also  He  is 
able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them  that  draw  near  unto  God 
through  Him,  seeing  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession 
for  them,"  Hebrews  7:25.  I  had  never  before  seen  the 
difference  between  salvation  in  justification  and  salvation 
to  the  uttermost.  In  the  same  way  we  may  not  realize  in 
our  joy  of  regeneration  the  power  of  His  continuing  that 
good  work  in  us  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
great  value  of  the  Spirit's  work  in  taking  the  things  of 
Christ  and  showing  them  to  us.  And  as  we  learn  each 
office  of  Christ,  and  just  what  He  does  in  that  office,  the 
greater  our  sense  of  security.  He  is  Prophet,  Sacrifice, 
King,  Priest,  Leader  and  Judge. 

6.  The  final  argument  underlying  the  security  of  the 
believer  is  presented  in  verses  35-37,  that  none  can  separate 
us  from  the  love  of  Christ  after  our  union  is  established 
with  Him.     The  words  here  are,  "Who  shall  separate  us 


194      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

from  the  love  of  Christ?  Shall  tribulation,  or  anguish,  or 
persecution,  or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword? 
In  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors."  The 
argument  is  in  full  accord  with  the  statement  of  our  Lord, 
John  10:29:  "My  Father,  who  hath  given  them  unto  me, 
is  greater  than  all;  and  no  one  is  able  to  snatch  them  out 
of  the  Father's  hand."  It  is  further  expressed  in  another 
passage  by  the  apostle  when  he  says,  "I  know  Him  whom 
I  have  believed,  and  I  am  persuaded  that  He  is  able  to  guard 
that  which  I  have  committed  unto  Him  against  that  day." 
And  it  is  further  expressed  in  the  seal  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
We  are  sealed  "unto  the  day  of  redemption." 

When  I  was  a  schoolboy  I  was  wonderfully  stirred  by 
an  eloquent  sermon  preached  by  J.  R.  Graves  in  which  he 
pointed  out  the  fact  that  by  faith  we  commit  our  lives  to 
Jesus;  that  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God ;  that  life  is  sealed 
with  the  impression  of  the  Holy  Spirit  until  the  day  of 
redemption,  and  then  he  asked,  "Who  can  pluck  that  life 
out  of  the  hands  of  God?"  drawing  this  vivid  picture:  "If 
hell  should  open  her  yawning  mouth  and  all  of  the  demons 
of  the  pit  should  issue  forth  like  huge  vampires  darkening 
water  and  land,  could  they  break  that  seal  of  God?  Could 
they  soar  to  the  heights  of  heaven?  Could  they  scale  its 
battlements?  Could  they  beat  back  the  angels  that  guard 
its  walls?  Could  they  penetrate  into  the  presence  of  the 
Holy  One  on  His  eternal  throne,  and  reach  out  their  demon- 
claws  and  pluck  our  life  from  the  bosom  of  God  where  it 
is  hid  with  Christ  in  God?" 

The  pages  of  religious  persecution  are  very  bloody ;  rack, 
thumbscrews  and  fagot  have  been  employed.  Confiscation 
of  property,  expatriation  from  country,  and  hounding  pur- 
suit of  the  exile  in  foreign  lands,  exposedness  to  famine 
and  nakedness  and  sword  and  other  perils,  and  yet  never 
has  this  persecution  been  able  to  effect  a  separation  of  the 
believer  from  his  Lord.    Roman  emperors  tried  it,  Julian 


FINAL  WORK  OF  SALVATION  IN  US      195 

the  apostate  tried  it,  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  Charles  V, 
their  son,  and  Philip  II,  his  son,  all  tried  it  in  their  time. 
The  inquisition  held  its  secret  court;  war,  conflagration  and 
famine  wrought  their  ruin,  but  the  truth  prevailed. 

All  this  illustrates  the  truth  that  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
is  the  seed  of  the  church.  The  Genevan,  the  German,  the 
English  State  churches  have  tried,  in  emulation  of  the  Ro- 
manist union  of  church  and  State,  to  crush  out  the  true  spirit 
of  Christianity.  They  have  been  able  to  merely  scatter  the 
fires,  to  make  them  burn  over  a  wider  territory  as  it  is 
expressed  concerning  the  decree  to  scatter  the  ashes  of 
Wycliffe  in  the  river. 

Now  upon  these  arguments,  the  two  intercessors,  the 
sweep  of  God's  providence,  the  link-chain  reaching  from 
eternity  to  eternity,  the  impossibility  of  any  being  laying 
a  charge  against  one  whom  God  has  justified,  the  four  pil- 
lars, the  inability  of  man  or  devil  to  separate  from  Christ  — 
upon  these,  the  apostle  reaches  this  persuasion: 

"For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor 
angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  things  present,  nor  things 
to  come,  nor  powers,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  final  work  of  salvation  in  us? 

2.  What  provision  did  God  first  make  for  the  immortality  of 
man's  body? 

3.  What  defeated  that  plan,  and  how  is  this  immortality  finally 
to  be  accomplished? 

4.  What  Job's  testimony  to  this  hope,  and  what  the  interpretation 
of  the  passage? 

5.  How  is  this  hope  in  man  evidenced  in  a  singular  way? 

6.  How  does  Paul  elsewhere  make  the  resurrection  a  pivotal 
doctrine  in  the  Christian  system? 

7.  Name  the  six  arguments  for  the  security  of  those  who  are 
justified  by  faith  as  taught  in  Romans  8. 

8.  Explain  the  argument  based  on  the  two  intercessors. 

9.  What  the  providential  argument,  and  what  does  it  include? 


196      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

10.  What  is  the  link  chain  argument,  and  how  many  and  what 
links  in  the  chain? 

11.  In  the  covenant  of  grace,  what  the  parts  to  be  performed  by 
the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  respectively? 

12.  What  the  non-chargeable-elect  argument,  and  what  the  Book 
of  Life  cited  in  this  connection? 

13.  Recite  the  stanza  from  the  old  song  given  in  this  connection. 

14.  What  the  ground  of  this  salvation,  and  what  the  four-pillar 
argument  ? 

15.  Show  how  one  may  not  comprehend  all  this  when  first  con- 
verted, and  how  he  may  afterwards  get  great  strength  from  it. 

16.  What  the  non-separation  argument,  what  J.  R.  Graves'  illus- 
tration of  it,  and  how  do  the  persecutions  inflicted  upon  God's  people 
illustrate  a  great  scripture  truth? 

17.  In  view  of  these  arguments,  what  Paul's  persuasion? 


XVIII 

THE  HARMONY  OF  THE  PROBLEM  OF  JEWISH 
UNBELIEF  WITH  THE  PLAN  OF  SALVATION 

Scripture:   Rom.  9 :  i — 10 :  21 

PAUL'S  statement  of  the  plan  of  salvation  closes  with 
chapter  8,  so  we  now  take  up  the  problem  of  Jewish 
unbelief,  its  effect  on  Paul,  and  the  occasion  and 
extent  of  his  concern : 

So  far  as  this  letter  goes  we  find  the  discussion  in  9: 1-5, 
and  in  10:  i,  2,  but  this  concern  is  equally  evident  in  Luke's 
history  of  his  labors,  addresses  and  sermons  in  Acts,  and 
in  several  other  letters  written  by  Paul.  One  of  the  deepest 
passions  of  his  soul  was  excited  and  stirred  by  this  problem 
of  Jewish  unbelief.  The  grounds  of  his  concern  are  the 
following:  (i)  These  people  were  his  kindred  according 
to  the  flesh.  (2)  It  was  his  nation  and  country,  and  he 
had  an  intense  patriotism.  (3)  They  were  God's  adopted 
people.  (4)  They  had  all  of  the  marvelous  privileges  of 
that  adoption,  and  these  privileges  are  thus  enumerated  by 
him  in  this  9th  chapter,  first  paragraph:  (a)  "Whose  is 
the  adoption  and  the  glory."  This  glory  was  the  cloud, 
symbolizing  the  Divine  Presence,  (b)  They  had  the  cove- 
nants, the  covenant  of  grace  with  Abraham  in  Genesis  12, 
and  the  covenant  of  circumcision  as  expressed  in  Genesis 
17.  (c)  Then  they  had  the  giving  of  the  law  on  Mt.  Sinai 
— such  a  law  as  cannot  be  paralleled  in  the  later  world.  The 
circumstances  under  which  it  was  given  were  more  impos- 
ing and  impressive  than  the  giving  of  any  other  code  in 
the  annals  of  time.    They  had  that,     (d)  Then  they  had 

197 


198      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  promises — ^the  promise  to  Abraham,  the  promise  to 
Isaac,  the  promise  to  Jacob,  the  promise  to  the  nation,  the 
promise  to  Moses,  and  so  on.  They  had  all  the  promises, 
(e)  Then  they  had  the  fathers,  the  patriarchs.  It  was  an 
illustrious  heritage.  No  other  nation  had  such  a  list  of 
fathers — Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  the  twelve  patriarchs, 
the  great  leaders  all  through  their  history,  (f)  Then  they 
had  the  services,  that  is,  the  imposing  ritual  of  worship  set 
forth  in  the  book  of  Exodus  from  chapter  38  to  the  end, 
and  in  all  of  the  book  of  Leviticus,  and  a  great  part  of  the 
book  of  Numbers.  That  service  showed  the  place  to  meet 
God,  the  time  to  meet  God,  the  sacrificial  means  of  hearings 
before  God,  the  mediator  through  whom  they  could  ap- 
proach God.  They  had  that  service.  No  other  nation  has 
ever  had  anything  Hke  it.  All  the  churches  of  the  present 
time  have  not  improved  that  ritual,  including  the  Romans, 
the  Greeks,  the  Catholics,  the  Epicureans,  and  some  Bap- 
tists who  wear  robes  in  the  pulpit  and  intone  their  services. 
(g)  The  last  and  greatest  of  the  privileges  was,  that  of  them 
came  Christ  according  to  the  flesh,  the  line  running  through 
Abel,  Seth,  Heber,  Peleg,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Judah, 
David,  and  on  down  until  we  come  to  Christ  himself.  They 
had  Christ  according  to  the  flesh.  That  was  the  ground 
and  the  occasion  of  His  interest.  So  the  problem  is,  that 
Christ  was  rejected  by  His  own  people.  More  than  once 
an  infidel  has  said  to  me,  "If  the  proof  and  the  merits  of 
Christ  be  so  obvious,  why  is  it  that  His  own  people  did  not 
take  Him?" 

We  now  come  to  the  extent  of  Paul's  concern  for  this 
rejection  of  Christ,  (i)  He  says  in  chapter  10,  which  is 
a  part  of  this  section,  "I  bear  my  people  witness  that  they 
have  a  zeal  toward  God,  but  not  according  to  knowledge. 
(2)  I  sincerely  desire  the  salvation  of  my  people.  (3)  Their 
rejection  of  Christ  gives  me  continual  sorrow  and  pain  of 
heart.     (4)   Finally,  I  could  wish  myself  accursed  from 


PROBLEM  OF  JEWISH  UNBELIEF        199 

Christ  for  my  brethren's  sake."  There  is  only  one  similar 
expression  in  the  history  of  men,  and  that  is  where  Moses, 
when  all  Israel  had  sinned  and  God  said,  "I  will  blot  them 
out,"  stood  in  the  breach  and  said,  "If  thou  wilt  not  forgive 
these  people,  blot  my  name  out  of  thy  book,"  That  dispo- 
sition on  the  part  of  Moses  and  Paul  not  merely  to  suffer 
temporal  death  but  severance  from  Christ  if  it  would  save 
the  nation,  approaches  the  feeling  that  was  in  the  heart  of  the 
Redeemer  when  He  came  to  die  the  spiritual  death  for  the 
salvation  of  men.  Two  others  had  the  experience  that  is 
here  illustrated,  for  instance,  when  Abraham  offered  up 
his  only  begotten  son,  and  passed  through  the  anguish  of 
a  father's  heart  in  giving  up  his  son.  He  is  the  only  man 
in  the  world  whose  experience  approximated  the  experience 
of  God  the  Father,  when  He  gave  up  His  only  begotten 
Son.  And  Isaac,  in  consenting  to  be  so  sacrificed,  approxi- 
mated the  experience  of  the  Son  in  voluntarily  coming  at 
the  Father's  bidding  to  die  for  the  world.  Higher  than  all 
the  mountain  peaks  of  time,  stands  these  four  names: 
Abraham,  representing  the  sacrifice  of  the  Father;  Isaac, 
representing  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son ;  Moses  and  Paul,  rep- 
resenting the  Spirit  that  prompted  Jesus  to  be  forsaken  of 
God  in  order  to  the  salvation  of  men. 

We  come  now  to  the  key-sentence  of  these  three  chap- 
ters, in  verse  6:  "But  it  is  not  as  though  the  Word  of  God 
hath  come  to  naught."  The  object  of  the  plan  of  salvation 
as  presented  in  chapter  8  has  this  objection  against  it: 
Since  the  Jewish  people  did  not  believe  it,  how  can  we  har- 
monize with  that  plan  the  problem  of  the  unbeHef  of  the 
Jews  themselves?  He  starts  off  to  argue  that  question  by 
the  affirmation  that  this  Jewish  rejection  of  Christ  does  not 
militate  against  the  plan  of  salvation  as  set  forth.  That  is 
his  proposition,  and  the  first  argument  that  he  makes  is  that 
all  of  Abraham's  children — all  of  Abraham's  lineal  descend- 
ants— were  never  included  in  that  national  adoption.    Abra- 


300      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ham  had  two  sons,  Isaac  and  Ishmael.  Ishmael  and  his 
descendants,  the  IshmaeHtes,  are  not  included.  Keturah, 
Abraham's  second  wife,  had  a  pretty  large  family,  and  these 
Midianites,  descendants  of  Keturah,  were  not  included. 
Then  the  next  one  after  Abraham,  Isaac,  had  two  children, 
Jacob  and  Esau.  Esau  and  the  Edomites  descended  from 
him,  through  lineal  descendants,  were  not  included.  He 
then  presents  a  case  of  divine  sovereignty  concerning  these 
two  children  of  Isaac.  He  says  that  the  selection  of  the 
one  to  be  the  people  of  God  in  the  adopted  sense  and  the 
rejection  of  the  other,  was  not  based  upon  any  work,  and 
good  to  be  done  by  the  one  or  evil  to  be  done  by  the  other. 
It  was  not  according  to  the  wish  of  the  parents  of  those 
children.  The  selection  was  made  before  the  children  were 
born — ^before  either  one  of  them  knew  good  from  evil.  So 
that  it  was  not  of  Isaac  that  willed  Esau  to  be  the  heir,  nor 
of  Esau  that  ran  to  get  the  venison  in  order  that  he  might 
obtain  the  blessing  of  the  heir,  nor  of  the  plotting  of  Rebecca 
and  Jacob.  Their  plotting  did  not  have  anything  to  do  with 
it.  It  was  not  of  him  that  runneth,  nor  him  that  plotteth ; 
it  was  the  act  of  divine  sovereignty.  Whatever  is  meant  by 
this  adoption  of  a  nation,  it  was  not  based  upon  any  merit 
in  that  nation,  or  in  the  particular  individuals  through  whom 
this  adoption  came.  Jerusalem  when  it  was  first  established 
was  no  better  than  any  other  city ;  it  was  of  God's  sover- 
eignty just  as  the  raising  up  of  Pharaoh.  "For  this  purpose 
did  I  raise  thee  up,  that  I  might  show  in  thee  my  power." 
Right  on  the  heels  of  that  comes  the  question  from  the  objec- 
tor, "Why  doth  He  still  find  fault  ?  For  who  withstandeth 
His  will  ?"  Paul  is  not  disposed  to  answer  that  question  in 
this  connection.  We  will  find  the  answer  before  we  get 
through  with  these  three  chapters,  but  here  he  waives  it  aside 
w  ith  a  counter-question :  "Hath  not  the  potter  power  over  his 
clay  to  take  one  part  of  the  lump  and  make  a  beautiful  vessel 
for  the  parlor,  and  to  take  another  part  and  make  a  very  infe- 


PROBLEM  OF  JEWISH  UNBELIEF        201 

rior  vessel  for  the  kitchen  ?  And  shall  either  one  of  the  ves- 
sels object  to  the  potter  ?"  He  waives  it  for  the  time  being 
by  merely  denying  the  power  of  the  Christian  to  intrude 
into  the  power  of  the  divine  sovereignty.  His  purpose  is  to 
show  that  the  Word  of  God  touching  salvation  has  not  come 
to  be  ineffectual  because  the  Jews  rejected  it.  That  is 
the  argument  he  is  on  now,  and  he  then  advances  in  it,  and 
says,  "Not  even  all  the  lineal  descendants  of  Abraham  in 
the  select  line  according  to  the  plan  of  salvation  were  to  be 
saved;  not  all  of  them  could  see  these  two  covenants  side 
by  side;  one  was  a  national  covenant,  with  its  seal  of  cir- 
cumcision, and  promising  the  earthly  Canaan,  and  the  other 
was  the  grace  covenant  that  looked  to  a  spiritual  seed." 
Or,  as  he  puts  it  in  another  place,  "He  is  not  a  Jew  (in  the 
spiritual  sense)  who  is  just  one  outwardly,  but  he  is  a  Jew 
who  is  one  inwardly.  The  circumcision  is  not  the  circum- 
cision of  the  flesh,  but  the  circumcision  of  the  heart — regen- 
eration." In  the  exercise  of  the  sovereign  purpose  of  God, 
there  is  nothing  that  the  finite  man  can  do  concerning  Him. 
It  is  an  ocean  too  deep  for  our  line  to  fathom.  We  would 
have  to  be  infinite  to  understand  it,  but  we  do  know  that 
in  all  human  history,  without  any  explanation  to  us,  God's 
purpose  is  working.  God  had  a  purpose  in  having  this  con- 
tinent discovered  just  when  it  was.  He  had  a  purpose  in 
the  success  of  the  American  Revolution.  He  had  a  purpose 
in  the  redemption  of  Texas  in  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto. 

High  above  human  thought,  beyond  the  scope  of  human 
sight,  of  the  hum^n  mind,  the  Omnipotence  and  Omnis- 
cience is  ruling,  and  His  rule  is  supreme,  and  yet  nobody  is 
taken  by  the  hair  and  dragged  into  hell,  and  nobody  is  taken 
by  the  hair  cmd  dragged  into  heaven,  as  he  will  shozv  more 
particularly  later. 

Let  us  explain  and  give  the  application  of  the  vessels  of 
wrath  and  mercy.  In  chapter  9  is  a  passage,  from  verse 
22  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  about  the  vessels  of  wrath  and 


202      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  vessels  of  mercy.  Those  that  were  vessels  of  wrath, 
those  who  voluntarily  stand  against  God,  God  patiently 
endured  a  long  time,  and  His  forbearance  signified  that  He 
was  giving  them  opportunity  for  repentance.  Those  vessels 
of  mercy,  they  also  had  opportunity  for  salvation,  whether 
they  were  Jews  or  Greeks.  He  shows  that  God  is  no  re- 
specter of  persons  in  selecting  the  Jewish  nation.  But  why 
did  He  select  that  nation?  If  He  had  selected  the  Jewish 
nation,  every  one  of  them  to  be  saved  in  heaven,  and  rejected 
every  other  nation,  then  the  objection  would  have  been  sus- 
tained, but  it  had  a  different  purpose.  The  election  of  the 
Jewish  nation  looked  to  the  salvation  of  the  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles that  received  the  message  of  God,  also  the  covenants, 
and  the  coming  of  Christ  from  them  according  to  the  flesh. 
That  election  looked  through  them  to  others  and,  so  far  as 
salvation  in  heaven  is  concerned,  the  Jews  that  believed 
were  saved,  and  so  far  as  other  nations  were  concerned  he 
quotes  certain  parts  in  Hosea  and  the  Old  Testament,  the 
paragraph  referring  to  the  ingathering  of  the  Gentiles:  "I 
will  call  them  my  people  which  were  not  my  people."  In 
objecting  to  God's  selecting  one  nation  and  calling  that 
nation  "my  people"  he  says,  'T  will  call  them  my  people 
which  were  not  my  people,"  and  in  a  place  where  it  is  said, 
"They  are  not  my  people,  there  shall  they  be  called  sons  of 
the  living  God,"  if  they  believe  on  Jesus  Christ.  He  then 
quotes  from  Isaiah  who  distinguishes  between  the  holy  stock 
of  Israel  and  the  natural  stock  of  Israel  as  if  he  had  said, 
"If  the  number  of  Israel  had  been  as  abundant  as  the  sands 
of  the  sea,  it  is  only  the  remnant  that  are  saved" — those 
that  by  faith  accept  Christ.  We  see  he  is  laying  the  predi- 
cate for  that  olive  tree  illustration  that  he  will  introduce  later 
in  the  discussion.  Isaiah  then  goes  on  to  say  that  if  the 
grace  of  God  had  not  been  revealed,  and  the  Lord  God  of 
hosts  had  not  left  a  seed,  the  whole  of  them  would  have 
been  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.     Nothing  but  divine  grace 


PROBLEM  OF  JEWISH  UNBELIEF         203 

saves  those  that  were  saved — not  their  ritual,  not  their  law. 
He  then  reaches  this  conclusion,  "What  shall  we  say  then  ?" 
The  Gentiles  who  followed  not  after  righteousness,  that  is, 
the  Jewish  way,  attained  to  righteousness  because  they 
sought  it  in  a  different  way.  The  Jew  following  the  law 
had  not  arrived  at  righteousness.  Wherefore?  Because 
they  sought  it  not  by  faith,  but  by  works;  they  stumbled 
at  that  stumbling  stone. 

Next  he  shows  that  the  rejection  of  the  Jews  was  not 
total.  He  commences  chapter  lo  by  stating  that  as  far  as 
he  is  personally  concerned  his  heart's  desire  and  prayer 
for  Israel  is  that  they  would  be  saved,  and  he  is  willing  to 
acknowledge  that  they  had  a  zeal,  but  not  the  zeal  of  knowl- 
edge. They  busied  themselves  to  establish  their  own  plan 
of  righteousness,  and  he  puts  it  in  such  a  way  that  we  can't 
mistake  the  law-righteousness  and  leave  the  faith-righteous- 
ness as  they  did.  We  must  not  forget  that  the  law  says, 
"Do  to  live,"  but  faith  says  "Live  to  do."  In  other  words, 
doing  the  will  of  God  comes  out  of  having  been  made  alive 
to  God.  Life  must  come  first ;  make  the  tree  good,  and 
then  the  fruit  will  be  good.  One  of  them  makes  doing  the 
means  of  Hfe,  and  the  other  puts  life  as  a  means  of  doing. 
Then  he  shows  that  while  Moses  had  handed  down  this 
law  and  set  before  them  its  requirements  that  if  one  would 
have  kept  its  requirements  in  strict  obedience  he  would 
have  been  saved,  but  the  law  required  him  to  start  right 
in  his  nature  and  then  to  continue  to  do  everything  that  is 
contained  in  the  law.  He  goes  on  to  quote  from  Moses. 
Paul  quotes  from  the  Hebrew  and  not  from  the  Septuagint 
which  runs  thus:  "The  righteousness  which  is  of  faith 
saith  thus.  Say  not  in  thy  heart.  Who  shall  ascend  unto 
heaven  (that  is,  to  bring  the  Savior  down,  or  to  bring  salva- 
tion down)  or.  Who  shall  descend  from  heaven  (that  is,  to 
bring  Christ  up  from  the  grave.)"  This  is  the  Septuagint 
idea.     The  Hebrew  idea  is  not  that  a  man  tries  to  go  to 


204      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

heaven  as  the  ancient  Titan  tried  to  do — by  piHng  Pela  on 
Ossa  to  make  a  stairway.  Nor  that  he  tries  to  go  directly 
into  the  depths,  down  into  the  abyss,  and  wrench  salvation 
from  the  depths.  The  Hebrew  represents  him,  not  as  going 
down,  but  as  going  across,  saying  that  man  does  not  go  to 
the  other  side  of  the  sea  to  find  salvation  to  bring  it  back. 
Paul  changes  this  a  little  and  makes  it  correspond  better 
than  does  Moses.  Instead  of  going  across  the  sea,  he  has 
the  man  going  down  into  the  depths  of  the  sea,  and  he  goes 
on,  still  quoting  Moses,  that  the  real  salvation  does  not 
come  from  afar.  Paul  puts  this  explanation  on  it,  that  it 
was  the  word  that  he  preached:  "It  is  the  word  of  faith 
which  we  preach." 

The  plan  of  salvation  is  not  making  tedious  pilgrimages; 
it  is  not  wearing  a  hairy  undershirt  to  irritate;  it  is  not 
wearing  bracelets  that  have  thorns  on  them,  and  to  keep  on 
doing  penance;  it  is  the  word  of  faith. 

Thus  he  says,  "You  may  be  sure  that  if  from  the  heart 
you  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  if  with  your  lips  you  make 
confession  of  that  faith,  you  shall  be  saved."  It  is  not  an 
intellectual  faith — it  is  heart-faith.  But  a  good  many  peo- 
ple misunderstand  the  import  of  confession.  It  doesn't 
mean  to  confess  sins  to  your  brother,  nor  to  a  priest,  nor 
even  to  God — that  is  not  the  confession  he  is  talking  about, 
but  it  is  a  public  confession  of  Christ  as  Savior.  If  we 
have  not  faith  enough  to  confess  the  Christ  that  we  say 
we  believe  in,  we  have  not  faith  enough  to  be  saved.  Con- 
fession implies  that  whoever  makes  it  must  have  a  great 
deal  of  courage.  In  this  time  of  peace  it  doesn't  cost  much 
to  confess  Christ,  and  even  now  sometimes  shame  prevents 
confession  by  young  people.  The  young  lady  going  into  a 
city  is  told  not  to  join  a  church  because  that  will  deprive 
her  of  all  social  functions.  "Whoever  shall  be  ashamed  of 
me  before  this  generation,  of  him  shall  I  be  ashamed  before 
my  father  and  the  holy  angels.    And  whosoever  shall  deny 


PROBLEM  OF  JEWISH  UNBELIEF        206 

me,  him  will  I  deny."  And  if  we  are  afraid  or  ashamed  to 
come  out  in  public,  and  say,  "I  take  Christ  as  my  Savior," 
then  the  Father  will  be  ashamed  of  us. 

This  law  has  no  distinction  as  to  nationality;  there  was 
only  one  door  to  the  ark.  The  elephant  went  in  at  the  same 
door  as  the  snail,  and  the  eagle  swooped  down  through  the 
same  door  that  a  little  wren  hopped  in  at.  And  there  is  not 
a  side  door  for  a  woman  to  go  in.  We  all  go  to  Christ 
through  the  same  door.  While  it  is  true  that  God  called 
Israel  out  of  Egypt,  the  same  Bible  says  that  He  called  the 
Philistines  out  of  Caphtor,  and  He  is  the  Lord  of  all  nations, 
and  the  universality  of  the  plan  of  salvation  is  expressed 
in  "Whoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  saved."  Then  comes  up  the  question.  How  can  any  one 
call  on  God  who  has  not  believed  in  God,  and  how  can  he 
believe  in  a  God  of  whom  he  has  never  heard?  How  can 
he  hear  unless  somebody  tells  him — unless  there  be  a 
preacher — and  how  can  there  be  a  preacher  except  he  be 
sent?  The  sending  there  means  God-sent.  What  a  mar- 
velous theme  for  a  missionary  sermon ! 

Having  stated  that,  he  raises  another  question,  "Have 
they  not  heard?  Didn't  they  have  preachers?"  Has  not 
the  word  gone  to  them?  From  Genesis  we  learn  that  the 
antediluvians  had  light  enough  to  be  saved,  and  Paul  is  here 
quoting  a  Psalm:  "Their  sound  went  out  through  all  the 
earth."  Jesus  Christ  is  the  true  light  that  lights  every  man 
that  comes  into  the  world.  There  has  been  light  enough 
if  the  people  had  been  willing  to  walk  in  the  light. 

I  once  heard  a  Methodist  preacher  state  to  a  congrega- 
tion that  the  heathen  that  did  the  best  they  could  would  be 
saved. 

But  he  didn't  produce  any  heathen  who  had  done  their 
best.    And  where  is  the  man  that  has  done  his  hestf 

The  plan  by  which  men  are  to  be  saved  is  the  plan  to 
make  the  promise  sure  to  all.     It  is  as  quick  as  lightning 


g06      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

in  its  application.  It  is  a  fine  thing  for  a  man  to  quit  his 
meanness ;  it  is  a  fine  thing  for  a  man  to  do  the  best  he  can, 
but  certainly  it  is  not  the  way  of  salvation ;  we  don't  secure 
salvation  by  that.  "With  a  nation  void  of  understanding 
will  I  anger  you."  In  other  words,  "If  you  will  have  no 
God,  you  adopted  people,  I  will  provoke  you  to  jealousy  by 
them  that  are  no  people,"  as  Isaiah  said,  "I  was  found  of 
them  that  sought  me  not;  I  was  made  manifest  unto  them. 
But  to  Israel  He  said,  I  have  stretched  out  my  hands  unto 
this  disobedient  and  gainsaying  people."  Their  whole  rec- 
ord is,  no  matter  who  called,  who  was  sent,  who  preached, 
they  rejected.  Having  shown  them  that  God  was  not  unjust 
in  rejecting  them,  and  that  He  did  not  violate  the  gospel 
plan  of  salvation,  Paul  says,  "I  am  one  of  them;  not  all 
the  Jews  were  lost ;  I  am  one  of  them."  Neither  in  its 
totahty  nor  in  its  perpetuity  were  the  Jews  rejected.  Elijah 
supposed  once  that  he  stood  by  himself,  and  that  he  was 
the  only  one  left.  God  says,  "I  have  preserved  7000  that 
have  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal." 

Having  shown  from  chapters  9  and  10  that  the  rejection 
of  the  Jews  was  not  total,  we  will  show  from  chapter  11 
that  it  was  not  perpetual. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  problem  of  Romans  9:1 — 11:36? 

2.  How  did  it  affect  Paul? 

3.  What  the  grounds  of  his  concern? 

4.  What  the  marvelous  privileges  of  the  Jews'  adoption? 

5.  What  the  infidel  argument  on  this  point? 

6.  What  the  items  which  indicate  the  extent  of  Paul's  concern 
for  his  people? 

7.  What  Paul's  meaning  here,  and  what  Old  Testament  examples 
of  this  experience  and  spirit? 

8.  What  the  key-sentence  of  chapters  9,  10  and  11,  and  what  its 
meaning? 

9.  What  is  Paul's  first  argument  on  this  point? 

10.    What  the  case  of  divine  sovereignty  concerning  Jacob  and 
Esau? 


PROBLEM  OF  JEWISH  UNBELIEF        207 

11.  How  is  this  principle  illustrated  in  the  selection  of  Jerusalem? 

12.  What  illustration  of  this  point  from  the  history  of  Pharaoh? 

13.  What  question  from  the  objector  here  introduced,  and  how 
does  Paul  dispose  of  it? 

14.  What  is  Paul's  purpose  in  thus  disposing  of  this  question? 

15.  What  advance  did  he  then  make  in  his  argument,  and  how 
does  he  illustrate  it  elsewhere? 

16.  What  illustrations  of  the  sovereign  purpose  of  God  cited  by 
the  author? 

17.  What  the  explanation  of  the  vessels  of  wrath  and  the  vessels 
of  mercy  in  Rom.  9:22flf? 

18.  How  does  Paul  show  that  God  was  no  respecter  of  persons 
in  selecting  the  Jewish  nation? 

19.  How  does  he  prove  this  from  the  prophets? 

20.  What  the  conclusion  of  all  this,  then,  as  stated  in  the  closing 
part  of  chapter  9? 

21.  What  the  argument  of  chapter  10? 

22.  What  concession  does  he  make  in  favor  of  the  Jews  in  the 
first  part  of  chapter  10,  and  what  his  objection  raised? 

23.  What  the  difference  between  the  law-righteousness  and  the 
faith-righteousness  ? 

24.  Why  could  not  any  one  be  saved  by  the  law-righteousness  ? 

25.  What  the  difference  in  the  idea  expressed  in  the  Hebrew  and 
that  of  the  Septuagint? 

26.  What  construction  does  Paul  put  on  it,  and  what  the  applica- 
tion? 

27.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  confession  mentioned  in  this 
connection,  and  what  its  relation  to  salvation? 

28.  How  does  Paul  show  here  that  God  makes  no  distinction  be- 
tween peoples  of  different  nationalities,  and  what  the  author's  illustra- 
tion? 

29.  What  the  great  missionary  text  in  this  connection? 

30.  What  Paul's  answer  to  the  question,  "Have  they  not  heard?" 
and  what  the  necessity  of  missionary  operations? 

31.  With  what  reproof  of  the  Jewish  people  does  Paul  close 
chapter  10? 


XIX 

THE   LIMITATIONS   AND   MERCIFUL   PURPOSE 
OF  GOD'S   REJECTION   OF  ISRAEL 

Scripture:  Rom.  11:1-36 

ISRAEL'S  rejection  was  neither  total  nor  perpetual. 
The  elect,  or  spiritual  Israel,  were  never  cast  off.  From 
Abraham  to  Paul  every  Israelite  who  looked  through 
the  types  and  by  faith  laid  hold  of  the  Antitype,  was  saved. 
In  this  sense  there  were  no  lost  tribes,  but  out  of  every  tribe 
the  elect,  manifested  in  the  circumcision  of  the  heart,  not 
of  the  flesh,  were  saved.    For  example : 

1.  The  apostle  cites  his  own  case.  That  he  himself  was 
an  Israelite  is  abundantly  shown  here,  and  even  more  par- 
ticularly elsewhere,  (Phil.  3:4-6;  Acts  22:3-15)  and  yet 
he  was  saved  after  Israel  according  to  the  flesh  was  cast 
off  and  the  kingdom  transferred  to  the  Gentiles,  as  were 
all  the  Jews  from  Pentecost  to  Paul.  The  number  of  elect 
Jews  thus  saved  was  always  greater  than  appeared  to  human 
sight,  as  evidenced  in  Elijah's  time. 

2.  Elijah  in  his  panic  supposed  himself  to  be  alone,  but 
Jehovah  showed  him  that  through  grace  there  were  seven 
thousand  who  had  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal. 

3.  So  it  continued  to  be  in  Paul's  time;  there  was  a 
remnant  spared  according  to  grace. 

But  the  apostle  is  careful  to  show  that  this  elect-remnant, 
never  cast  off,  every  one  of  them,  was  saved  by  grace,  and 
not  one  of  them  by  the  works  of  law.  Then  he  explains  this 
finding  of  salvation  by  the  elect  Jews,  and  the  casting  off 
of  the  non-elect  Jews  by  the  two  essentially  different  meth- 

209 


210      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ods  of  seeking  salvation.  The  elect  sought  it  by  faith  and 
obtained  it ;  the  rest  because  they  persistently  sought  right- 
eousness by  works  of  the  law,  rejecting  God's  righteous- 
ness, were  judicially  blinded  as  shown:  (i)  By  the  law 
itself,  Deut.  29:4;  (2)  by  the  prophets,  Isa.  29: 10;  (3)  by 
the  Psalms,  Psa.  69 :  22. 

Having  shown  the  casting  off  was  never  total,  and  why, 
he  then  shows  that  it  was  not  intended  to  be  perpetual  by 
proving  the  ultimate  restoration  of  all  Israel  as  a  nation, 
whenever  it  should  turn  to  the  grace-method  of  salvation, 
the  scriptural  proof  of  which  is  as  follows : 

1.  In  the  law  itself,  which  denounces  their  casting  off, 
is  the  promise  of  an  expiation  through  grace,  Deut.  32 :  43. 

2.  In  the  prayer  of  Solomon  at  the  dedication  of  the 
temple  it  is  suggested,  I  Kings  8:46-53. 

3.  In  the  prophets  it  is  clearly  foretold,  and  all  the 
method  of  it,  Isa.  66:8;  Ezek.  36:22 — 37:28;  Zech. 
12:9—13:1. 

The  element  of  mercy  dominant  in  the  election  of  Israel 
as  a  nation  is  that  they  were  chosen  that  through  them  all 
the  nations  might  be  blessed.  The  element  of  mercy  in 
their  rejection  is  that  through  their  downfall  life  might 
come  to  other  nations.  The  element  of  mercy  toward  the 
Jews  in  the  call  of  the  Gentiles  was  that  cast-off  Israel  might 
be  provoked  to  return  to  God.  In  saving  Gentiles  there 
was  an  aim  at  the  salvation  of  his  cast-off  people.  This  is 
proved  in  his  argument  thus :  "By  their  fall  salvation  is 
come  to  the  Gentiles  to  provoke  them  to  jealousy,"  and  then 
he  magnified  his  own  office  as  an  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  to 
provoke  the  jealousy  of  his  own  people  in  order  that  he 
might  save  some.  He  foresees  a  wonderful  effect  on  the 
Gentiles  in  the  restoration  of  the  Jews.  It  will  be  even  more 
beneficial  than  their  downfall:  "Now  if  their  fall  is  the 
riches  of  the  world,  and  their  loss  the  riches  of  the  Gen- 
tiles;  how  much  more  their  fulness?   *   *   *   For  if  the 


GOD'S  REJECTION  OF  ISRAEL  211 

casting  away  of  them  is  the  reconcihng  of  the  world,  what 
shall  the  receiving  of  them  be,  but  life  from  the  dead?" 
11:12,15.  Then  our  concern,  prayer  and  labor  for  that 
great  future  event — the  restoration  of  God's  ancient  people 
— is  a  concern  for  other  nations  who  never  will  be  thor- 
oughly aroused  until  moved  by  redeemed  Israel. 

A  passage  from  Peter  shows  the  relation  of  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Jews  to  our  Lord's  final  advent,  and  a  declara- 
tion of  our  Lord  shows  the  time  of  this  general  salvation 
of  the  Jews.  Peter  says,  "Repent  ye  therefore,  and  turn 
again,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  that  so  there  may 
come  seasons  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord ; 
and  that  He  may  send  the  Christ  who  hath  been  appointed 
for  you,  even  Jesus :  whom  the  heavens  must  receive  until 
the  times  of  restoration  of  all  things,  whereof  God  spoke 
by  the  mouth  of  His  holy  prophets  that  have  been  from  of 
old,"  Acts  3:19-21.  Our  Lord  says,  "And  they  shall  fall 
by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led  captive  unto  all 
the  nations;  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of  the 
Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fullfilled," 
Luke  21  '.24.  Then  according  to  Isaiah,  Ezekiel  and  Zecha- 
riah,  the  means  and  methods  of  this  great  salvation  of  the 
Jews  are  as  follows : 

1.  It  will  be  preceded  by  a  gathering  together  of  Israel 
out  of  all  nations. 

2.  Christ  whom  they  pierced  will  be  lifted  up  in  Gentile 
preaching. 

3.  The  Holy  Spirit  in  convicting  and  converting  power 
will  be  poured  out  on  them,  whereby  they  shall  mourn  and 
pray  and  see  the  Lord  as  their  Savior. 

4.  The  nation  shall  be  born  of  God  in  a  day. 

The  apostle  bases  this  marvelous  work  of  God  upon  the 
principle  that  "if  the  first  fruit  is  holy,  so  is  the  lump :  and 
if  the  root  is  holy,  so  are  the  branches.  *  *  *  And  this  is 
my  covenant  unto  them.  When  I  shall  take  away  their  sins 


«12      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

*  *  *  For  the  gifts  and  the  calling  of  God  are  not  repented 
of,"  ii:i6,  27,  29.  Then  follows  his  illustration  of  the 
olive  tree,  the  explanation  of  which  is  as  follows: 

1.  Christ  is  the  root. 

2.  The  holy  stock  is  the  spiritual  elect,  Israel. 

3.  The  branches  broken  oflf  are  the  unbelieving  Jews. 

4.  The  branches  grafted  in  are  the  believing  Gentiles. 

5.  The  principle  is  vital  and  spiritual  connection  with 
Christ,  through  faith,  without  respect  to  Jew  or  Gentile. 

6.  The  unbelieving  children  of  Abraham  are  like  branches 
merely  tied  on  the  stock  externally ;  there  is  no  communi- 
cation of  the  fatness  of  the  sap  into  the  veins  of  the  branches 
tied  on  externally. 

7.  So  a  Gentile  tied  on  externally,  without  this  vital  con- 
nection, will  be  broken  ofT. 

The  divine  purpose  in  shutting  up  both  Gentile  and  Jew 
unto  disobedience  as  shown  in  the  argument,  3:9-20,  is 
expressed  thus :  "For  God  hath  shut  up  all  unto  disobedi- 
ence, that  He  might  have  mercy  upon  all,"  1 1 :  32.  We  will 
conclude  this  discussion  with  an  analysis  of  the  doxology 
which  is  the  climax  of  his  argument : 

1.  An  exclamation  of  the  profundity  of  the  riches  of 
both  God's  wisdom  and  knowledge. 

2.  The  incomprehensibility  to  the  finite  mind  of  His 
judgments  and  ways. 

3.  No  finite  being  knew  His  mind  or  advised  His  actions. 

4.  No  beneficiary  of  His  goodness  ever  first  gave  to 
God  as  a  meritorious  ground  of  the  benefaction. 

5.  Because  He  is  the  source  of  all  good,  and  the  medium 
of  salvation  from  its  initiation  to  its  consummation,  all  the 
glory  belongs  to  God. 


GOD'S  REJECTION  OF  ISRAEL  213 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  limits  of  Israel's  rejection? 

2.  Wherein  was  it  not  total?    Illustrate. 

3.  What  is  the  apostle  careful  to  show  about  this  elect  remnant, 
never  cast  off  ? 

4.  How  does  he  explain  this  finding  of  salvation  by  the  elect 
Jews,  and  the  casting  off  of  the  non-elect  Jews  ? 

5.  How  is  the  judicial  blindness  of  the  non-elect  Jews  shown? 

6.  How  does  he  next  show  that  the  casting  off  was  not  intended 
to  be  perpetual? 

7.  What  the  scriptural  proof  of  this   ultimate  restoration   of 
Israel? 

8.  ^yhat  element  of  mercy  was  dominant  in  the  election  of  Israel 
as  a  nation? 

9.  What  element  of  mercy  in  their  rejection? 

10.  What  element  of  mercy  toward  Jews  in  the  call  of  the  Gen- 
tiles? 

11.  How  is  this  proved  in  his  argument? 

12.  What  effect  on  the  Gentiles  does  Paul  foresee  in  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Jews? 

13.  What  then  our  concern,  prayer  and  labor  for  that  great  future 
event,  the  restoration  of  God  s  ancient  people  ? 

14.  Quote  a  passage  from  Peter  showing  the  relation  of  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews  to  our  Lord's  final  advent. 

15.  Quote  a  passage  from  our  Lord  showing  the  time  of  this 
general  salvation  of  the  Jews. 

16.  According  to  Isaiah,  Ezekiel  and  Zechariah,  what  the  means 
and  methods  of  this  great  salvation  of  the  Jews? 

17.  Upon  what  principle  does  the  apostle  base  this  marvelous 
work  of  God? 

18.  In  the  olive-tree  illustration  what  the  root,  the  holy  stock, 
the  branches  broken  off,  the  branches  grafted  in,  the  principle,  the 
condition  of  the  unbelieving  children  of  Abraham,  and  what  of  the 
Gentile  tied  on  externally? 

19.  What  then  the  divine  purpose  in  shutting  up  both  Gentile  and 
Jew  unto  disobedience? 

ao.    Give  an  analysis  of  the  doxology. 


XX 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  SALVATION  BY  GRACE 
APPLIED  TO  PRACTICAL  LIFE 

Scripture:  Rom.  12 :  i — 16 :  27 

THE  prevalent  characteristic  of  all  Paul's  teachings 
concerning  the  gospel  is  the  unfailing  observance  of 
the  order  and  relation  of  doctrine  and  morals.  He 
never  "puts  the  cart  before  the  horse,"  and  never  drives 
the  horse  without  the  cart  attached  and  following  after. 
He  was  neither  able  to  conceive  of  morals  not  based  on 
antecedent  doctrine,  nor  to  conceive  of  doctrine  not  fruit- 
ing in  holy  living.  He  rigidly  adhered  to  the  Christ-idea, 
"First  make  the  tree  good,  and  then  the  fruit  will  be  good." 
His  clear  mind  never  confounded  cause  and  effect.  To  his 
logical  and  philosophical  mind  it  was  a  reversal  of  all  natu- 
ral and  spiritual  law  to  expect  good  trees  as  a  result  of 
good  fruit,  but  rather  good  fruit  evidencing  a  good  tree. 
So  he  conceived  of  justification  through  faith,  and  regenera- 
tion through  the  Spirit  as  obligating  to  holy  living.  If  he 
fired  up  his  doctrinal  engine  it  was  not  to  exhaust  its  steam 
in  whistling,  but  in  sawing  logs,  or  grinding  grist,  or  drawing 
trains. 

The  modern  cry,  "Give  us  morals  and  away  with  dogma," 
would  have  been  to  him  a  philosophical  absurdity,  just  as 
the  antinomian  cry,  "faith  makes  void  the  law — let  us  sin 
the  more  that  grace  may  abound,"  was  abhorrent  and  blas- 
phemous to  him. 

A  justification  of  a  sinner  through  grace  that  delivered 

ai6 


216      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

from  the  guilt  of  sin  was  unthinkable  to  him  if  unaccompa- 
nied by  a  regeneration  that  delivered  from  the  love  of  sin, 
and  a  sanctification  that  delivered  from  the  dominion  of  sin. 

He  expected  no  good  works  from  the  dead,  but  insisted 
that  those  made  ahve  were  created  unto  good  works.  His 
philosophy  of  salvation,  in  the  order  and  relation  of  doc- 
trine and  morals,  is  expressed  thus  in  his  letter  to  Titus: 
"For  the  grace  of  God  hath  appeared,  bringing  salvation 
to  all  men,  instructing  us  to  the  intent  that  denying  ungodli- 
ness and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly  and  right- 
eously and  godly  in  this  present  world ;  looking  for  that 
blessed  hope  and  appearing  of  the  glory  of  the  great  God 
and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  who  gave  himself  for  us,  that 
He  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto 
himself  a  people  for  His  own  possession,  zealous  of  good 
works."  "But  when  the  kindness  of  God  our  Savior,  and 
His  love  toward  man  appeared,  not  by  works  done  in  right- 
eousness, which  we  did  ourselves,  but  according  to  His 
mercy  He  saved  us,  through  the  washing  of  regeneration 
and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  He  poured  out 
upon  us  richly,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Savior;  that, 
being  justified  by  His  grace,  we  might  be  made  heirs  accord- 
ing to  the  hope  of  eternal  life.  Faithful  is  the  saying,  and 
concerning  these  things  I  desire  that  thou  affirm  confidently, 
to  the  end  that  they  who  have  believed  God  may  be  careful 
to  maintain  good  works.  These  things  are  good  and  profit- 
able unto  men,"  Titus  2 :  11-15  ;  3 : 4-8. 

So  in  every  letter  there  is  first  the  doctrinal  foundation, 
and  then  the  application  to  morals.  But  as  in  this  letter 
we  have  the  most  complete  and  systematic  statement  of 
the  doctrines  of  grace  as  a  foundation  (chapters  loii)  so 
in  this,  the  following  section  (chapters  12-15),  we  have  the 
most  elaborate  superstructure  of  morals. 

The  analysis  and  order  of  thought  in  this  great  section 
are — 


SALVATION  BY  GRACE  217 

1.  Salvation  by  grace  through  faith  obligates  the  observ- 
ance of  all  duties  toward  God  the  Father  on  account  of 
what  He  does  for  us  in  the  gift  of  His  Son,  in  election, 
predestination,  justification  and  adoption,  12:  i. 

2.  It  obligates  the  observance  of  all  duties  toward  God 
the  Holy  Spirit  for  what  He  does  in  us  in  regeneration  and 
sanctification,  12:2. 

3.  It  obligates  the  observance  of  all  duties  toward  the 
church,  with  its  diversity  of  gifts  in  unity  of  body,  12 : 3-13. 

4.  It  obligates  the  observance  of  all  duties  toward  the 
individual  neighbor  in  the  outside  world,  12: 14-21. 

5.  It  obligates  the  observance  of  all  duties  to  the  neigh- 
bors, organized  as  society  or  state,  13:1-13. 

6.  It  obligates  the  observance  of  all  duties  arising  from 
the  Christian's  individual  relation  to  Christ  the  Savior, 
13:14;  14:7-12. 

7.  It  obligates  the  observance  of  all  duties  toward  the 
individual  brother  in  Christ,  14 :  i — 15  : 7. 

8.  The  last  obligation  holds  regardless  of  the  race  dis- 
tinctions, Jew  and  Gentile,  15:8-24,  and  includes  the  wel- 
come of  the  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  prayer  for  the  welcome 
and  success  of  his  service  toward  the  Jewish  Christians  in 
their  need,  15:25-29,  and  prayer  for  his  deliverance  from 
unbelieving  Jews,  15 :  30-33. 

As  to  the  sum  of  these  obligations — 

1.  They  cover  the  whole  scope  of  morals,  whether  in 
the  decalogue,  as  given  to  the  Jews,  or  the  enlarged  Chris- 
tian code  arising  from  grace. 

2.  They  conform  to  relative  proportions,  making  first 
and  paramount  morals  toward  God,  whether  Father,  Son,  or 
Holy  Spirit,  not  counting  that  morals  at  all  which  leaves  out 
God  in  either  His  unity  of  nature,  or  trinity  of  persons,  and 
making  that  second,  subordinate  and  correlative  which  is 
morals  toward  men. 

The  duty  toward  God  the  Father,  in  view  of  what  He  has 


gl8      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

done  for  us  in  grace  and  mercy,  is  to  present  our  bodies  a 
living  sacrifice,  holy,  and  acceptable  to  God,  12:  i,  and  re- 
spect His  prerogative,  12 :  19,  which  is  illustrated  by  Paul 
elsewhere.  He  says,  "I  die  daily,"  meaning  that  though 
alive  His  members  were  on  the  rack  of  death  all  the  time. 
He  says,  "I  mortify  my  members,"  and,  "I  keep  my  body 
under,"  i.  e.,  he  kept  his  redeemed  soul  on  top,  dominating 
his  body.  He  made  his  body  as  "Prometheus  bound"  on 
the  cold  rock  of  Caucasus,  vultures  devouring  his  vitals 
every  day  as  they  were  renewed  every  night,  a  living 
death. 

Our  duty  toward  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  view  of  what 
He  graciously  does  in  us  is  found  in  12:2:  Negatively — 
Let  not  the  regenerate  soul  be  conformed  with  the  spirit 
and  course  of  this  evil  world,  whether  in  the  lust  of  the 
eye  or  pride  of  life.  Positively — Be  transformed  in  con- 
tinual sanctification  in  the  renewing  of  the  mind.  That  is, 
working  out  the  salvation  which  the  Spirit  works  in  us,  as 
He,  having  commenced  a  good  work  in  us  (regeneration) 
continues  it  (through  sanctification)  until  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Or,  as  this  apostle  says  elsewhere,  Christ,  having 
been  formed  in  us  the  hope  of  glory,  we  are  changed  into 
that  image  from  glory  to  glory  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 

The  duties  toward  the  church  are  found  in  12:3-13: 

1.  Not  to  think  more  highly  of  one's  self  in  view  of 
the  other  members  of  the  church.  Here  are  a  lot  of  people 
in  one  church ;  now  let  not  one  member  put  himself  too 
high  in  view  of  the  other  members  of  that  church. 

2.  To  think  only  according  to  the  proportion  of  faith 
given  to  him  for  the  performance  of  some  duty.  If  I  am 
going  to  put  an  estimate  upon  myself  in  the  relation  to 
my  church  members,  a  standard  or  estimate  should  be.  What 
is  the  proportion  of  faith  given  to  me?  Say  A  has  so  much, 
C  has  so  much,  D  has  so  much,  and  E  has  least  of  all; 
then  E  ought  not  to  think  himself  the  biggest  of  all.    The 


SALVATION  BY  GRACE  219 

standard  of  judgment  is  the  proportion  of  faith  given  to 
each  member. 

3.  He  must  respect  the  unity  of  the  church  as  a  body. 
In  that  illustration  used  the  church  is  compared  to  a  body 
having  many  members.  The  hand  must  not  say,  "I  am 
everything,"  and  the  eye  of  the  body  must  not  say,  "I  am 
everything,"  nor  the  ear,  "I  am  everything,"  nor  the  foot, 
"I  am  everything."  In  estimating  we  have  to  estimate  the 
function  of  each  part,  the  proportion  of  power  given  to  that 
part,  and  it  is  always  not  as  a  sole  thing,  but  in  its  relation 
to  every  other  part — that  is  a  duty  that  a  church  member 
must  perform.  Sometimes  a  man  easily  forgets  that  he 
is  just  one  of  many  in  the  organism. 

4.  He  must  respect  its  diversity  of  gifts.  That  is  one 
part  of  it  that  I  comply  with.  If  there  is  anything  that 
rejoices  my  heart,  it  is  the  diversity  of  gifts  that  God  puts 
in  the  church.  I  never  saw  a  Christian  in  my  life  that 
could  not  do  some  things  better  than  anybody  else  in  the 
world.  I  would  feel  meaner  than  a  dog  if  I  didn't  rejoice 
in  the  special  gifts  of  any  other  member  in  the  church. 
What  a  pity  it  would  be  if  we  had  just  one  kind  of  a  mold, 
and  everybody  was  run  through  like  tallow  so  as  to  make 
every  candle  alike.  The  duty  of  the  church  is  to  respect 
the  unity  of  the  body,  and  its  diversity  of  gifts. 

5.  Each  gift  is  to  be  exercised  with  its  appropriate  corre- 
sponding limitation.  The  duties  to  the  individual  neighbor 
of  the  outside  world,  even  though  hostile  to  us,  are  found 
in  12: 14-21 : 

1.  To  bless  him  when  he  persecutes. 

2.  To  be  sympathetic  toward  him,  rejoicing  in  his  joy, 
and  weeping  in  his  sorrow. 

3.  Several  Christians  should  not  be  of  different  mind 
toward  him.  The  expression  in  the  text  is  to  be  like-minded. 
What  is  the  point  of  that  ?  We  are  dealing  now  with  indi- 
viduals outside.    Here  is  A,  a  Christian,  B,  a  Christian,  C, 


220      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

a  Christian,  and  the  outsider  is  watching.  A  makes  one 
impression  on  his  mind,  B  makes  a  different  one,  and  C 
makes  still  a  different  one.  The  influence  from  these  several 
Christians  does  not  harmonize ;  it  is  not  like-minded ;  but  if 
he  says  that  A,  B,  C,  all  in  different  measures  perhaps,  be 
every  one  of  the  same  mind,  then  he  sees  that  there  is  a 
unifying  power  in  Christians.  How  often  do  we  hear  it 
said,  "If  every  Christian  were  like  you,  I  would  want  to 
be  one,  but  look  yonder  at  that  deacon,  or  at  that  sister." 
We  should  be  like-minded  to  those  outside  so  that  every 
Christian  that  comes  in  may  make  a  similar  impression  for 
Christ's  sake. 

4.  We  should  not,  in  dealing  with  him,  respect  big  out- 
siders only,  but  condescend  to  the  lowly — ^to  men  of  low 
estate.  Some  of  them  are  very  rich,  some  of  them  are 
influential  socially,  some  of  them  are  what  we  call  poor, 
country  folk.  We  should  not  be  highminded  in  our  deal- 
ings with  these  sinners,  but  condescend  to  men  of  low 
estate.  Let  them  feel  that  we  are  willing  to  go  and  help 
them. 

5.  We  should  not  let  our  wisdom  toward  him  be  self- 
conceit,  i.  e.,  let  it  not  seem  to  him  that  way. 

6.  When  he  does  evil  to  us,  we  should  not  repay  in  kind. 

7.  We  should  let  him  see  that  we  are  honest  men.  Ah 
me,  how  many  outsiders  are  repelled  because  all  Christians 
do  not  provide  things  honest  in  the  sight  of  the  outside 
world ! 

8.  So  far  as  it  lieth  in  us  we  should  be  peaceable  with 
him.  That  means  that  is  is  absolutely  impossible  to  be 
peaceable  with  a  man  that  has  no  peace  in  him.  He  wants 
to  fuss  anyhow,  and  goes  around  with  a  chip  on  his  shoulder. 
He  goes  around  snarling  and  showing  his  teeth.  There  are 
some  people  that  are  not  peaceable,  but  so  far  as  our  life 
is  concerned,  we  should  be  peaceable  with  them. 

9.  We  should  not  avenge  on  him  wrongs  done  us  by  him. 


SALVATION  BY  GRACE  221 

Vengeance  belongs  to  God ;  we  should  give  place  to  God's 
wrath. 

10.  We  should  feed  him  if  hungry,  and  give  him  drink 
if  thirsty. 

11.  We  should  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  overcome  of 
evil,  but  overcome  evil  with  good.  We  should  not  get  off 
when  we  come  in  contact  with  evil  people,  but  just  hang  on 
and  overcome  evil  with  good. 

The  duties  to  the  state  are  as  follows : 

1.  Be  subject  to  higher  powers,  and  do  not  resist  them, 
for  (a)  God  ordained  them,  (b)  Makes  them  a  terror  to 
evil  works,  (c)  God's  minister  for  good,  (d)  And  for 
conscience  sake  we  must  respect  the  state. 

2.  Pay  our  taxes. 

3.  Whatever  is  due  to  each  office:  "Render  honor  to 
whom  honor  is  due." 

4.  Keep  out  of  debt :  "Owe  no  man  anything  but  good 
will." 

5.  Keep  the  moral  code :  "Do  not  steal ;  do  not  commit 
adultery ;  do  not  covet  anything  that  is  thy  neighbor's,  and 
thus  love  thy  neighbor." 

6.  Avoid  the  world's  excesses,  revelings,  and  such  like. 
The  duties  toward  God  the  Son,  in  view  of  what  He  has 

done  for  us  and  in  view  of  our  vital  union  with  Him,  are 
set  forth  in  14:7-12: 

1.  Negatively:   Live  not  unto  self. 

2.  Positively :  Live  unto  Jesus,  respecting  His  preroga- 
tives and  servants. 

Let  us  now  look  at  the  duties  to  individual  Christians. 
We  have  considered  the  Christians  as  a  body.  What  are 
the  duties  to  individual  Christians?  Romans  14:1 — 15:7 
contains  the  duty  to  individual  Christians.  Let  us  enume- 
rate these  duties  somewhat : 

I.  Receive  the  weak  in  faith.  We  have  a  duty  to  every 
weak  brother ;  receive  him,  but  not  to  doubtful  disputations. 


222      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

If  we  must  have  our  abstract,  metaphysical,  hair-splitting 
distinctions,  let  us  not  spring  them  on  the  poor  Christian 
that  is  just  alive. 

2.  We  should  not  judge  him  censoriously,  instituting  a 
comparison  between  us  and  him ;  we  should  not  say  to  him, 
"Just  look  at  me." 

3.  We  should  not  hurt  him  by  doing  things,  though  law- 
ful to  us,  that  will  cause  him  to  stumble.  The  explanation 
there  is  in  reference  to  a  heathen  custom.  The  heathen 
offered  sacrifices  to  their  gods,  and  after  the  sacrifice  they 
would  hang  up  the  parts  not  consumed  and  sell  as  any 
other  butchered  meat.  Could  we  stand  up  like  Paul  and 
say,  "It  won't  hurt  me  to  eat  that  meat,  but  there  is  a  poor 
fellow  just  born  into  the  kingdom,  and  he  is  weak  in  the 
faith.  He  sees  me  eating  this  meat  that  has  been  offered 
in  sacrifice  to  idols,  and  he  stumbles,  therefore  I  will  not 
eat  meat?"  He  draws  the  conclusion  that  if  a  big  fellow 
can  do  that  he  can  too,  and  he  goes  and  worships  the  idols. 
The  strong  through  the  exercise  of  his  liberty  that  he  could 
have  done  without,  caused  his  fall  into  idolatry.  That  is 
what  he  meant  when  he  wrote,  "Do  not  hurt  him ;  do  not 
cause  him  to  stumble."  He  gives  two  reasons  why  we  must 
not  cause  him  to  stumble  on  account  of  a  little  meat.  He 
says,  (a)  "Because  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat  and 
drink,  but  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  (b)  If  we 
consider  this  weak  brother,  our  consideration  will  be  accept- 
able to  Christ,  and  approved  of  men,  but  if  we  trample  on 
the  poor  fellow  that  is  weak  in  the  faith,  Christ  won't  ap- 
prove of  it,  and  men  won't  approve  of  it." 

4.  Follow  the  things  that  make  for  peace.  It  is  indi- 
vidual Christians  that  we  are  talking  about,  and  we  come  in 
contact  with  them  where  we  have  A,  B,  C,  D,  and  E,  and 
the  first  thing  we  know  a  little  root  of  bitterness  springs 
up  among  them  and  stirs  up  a  disagreement.  The  point  is 
that  we  should  follow  the  things  that  make  for  peace,  just 


SALVATION  BY  GRACE  223 

as  far  as  we  can,  and  sometimes  that  will  take  us  a  good 
ways.  He  gives  this  illustration  where  he  says,  "If  my 
eating  meat  offered  to  idols  causes  my  brother  to  stumble, 
then  I  am  willing  to  take  a  total  abstinence  pledge."  Then 
he  extends  it :  "Nor  drink  wine,  nor  do  anything  whereby 
my  brother  is  caused  to  stumble."  There  is  meat  other  than 
that  which  is  offered  to  idols. 

5.  Bear  his  infirmities.  One  man  said,  "There  is  much 
of  human  nature  in  the  mule,  but  more  of  the  mule  in 
human  nature."  The  best  man  I  ever  knew  had  some  in- 
firmities, and  I  can  see  some  of  mine  with  my  eyes  shut, 
and  I  believe  better  with  them  shut  than  with  them  open. 
We  all  have  infirmities  in  some  direction  or  another. 

6.  We  should  seek  to  please  him  rather  than  to  please 
ourselves.  We  are  not  to  sacrifice  a  principle,  but  if  we 
can  please  him  without  sacrificing  a  principle,  rather  than 
please  ourselves,  why  not  do  it?  Let  us  make  him  feel 
good  if  we  can.   This  is  the  duty  to  the  individual  Christian. 

The  duties  of  Christian  Jews  to  Gentile  neighbors  are 
found  in  15:8-24.  There  they  are  all  elaborated.  Even  in 
the  Jew's  Bible,  all  through  its  parts,  it  is  shown  that  God 
intended  to  save  the  Gentiles.  The  duty  of  Gentile  Chris- 
tians to  the  Jews  is  found  in  15-27,  showing  that  there  is  a 
debt  and  that  it  ought  to  be  paid. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  prevalent  characteristics  of  all  Paul's  teachings  con- 
cerning the  gospel?    Illustrate. 

2.  What  Paul's  attitude  toward  the  modern  cry,  "Give  us  morals 
and  away  with  dogma,"  and  how  does  he  express  his  conviction  on 
this  subject  elsewhere? 

3.  How  is  this  thought  especially  emphasized  in  this  letter? 

4.  What  the  analysis  and  order  of  thought  in  this  letter  in 
chapters  12-15? 

5.  What  may  we  say  as  to  the  sum  of  these  obligations? 

6.  What  the  duty  toward  God  the  Father,  in  view  of  what  He 
has  done  for  us  in  grace  and  mercy? 


224      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

7.  What  the  meaning  of  "living  sacrifice?"    Illustrate. 

8.  What  our  duty  toward  God  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  view  of  what 
He  graciously  does  in  us? 

9.  What  our  duties  toward  the  church? 

10.  What  our  duties  to  the  individual  neighbor  of  the  outside 
world,  even  though  hostile  to  us? 

11.  What  our  duties  to  the  state? 

12.  What  our  duties  toward  God  the  Son,  in  view  of  what  He 
has  done  for  us  and  in  view  of  our  vital  union  with  Him  ? 

13.  What  the  duties  to  individual  Christians? 

14.  What  the  duties  of  Christian  Jews  to  Gentile  neighbors? 


XXI 

SOME  FRAGMENTS  OF  CHAPTERS   14-16 
Scriptures:  All  references 

THESE  scriptures  have  been  covered  generally  in  the 
discussion  already.    So  in  this  chapter  it  is  our  pur- 
pose only  to  gather  up  the  fragments  that  nothing 
may  be  lost.    Then  let  us  commence  by  expounding  14:9: 

1.  The  revised  version  here  is  better  than  the  common 
version. 

2.  The  death  of  Christ  was  on  the  cross;  the  living 
after  death  is  His  resurrection — life  in  glory.  (Compare 
Rev.  1:18.) 

3.  The  end  of  Christ's  dying  and  reviving  is  said  to  be 
that  He  might  be  Lord  of  both  the  dead  and  the  living,  the 
dead  meaning  those  sleeping  in  the  grave  to  be  raised  from 
the  grave  at  His  coming. 

The  latter  clause  of  14: 14  does  not  make  our  thought  of 
what  is  sin  the  standard  of  sin,  but  God's  law  alone  deter- 
mines that.  It  means  that  when  a  man  violates  his  own 
conception  of  law  he  is  in  spirit  a  sinner,  seeing  that  he 
goes  contrary  to  his  standard. 

The  doctrine  of  14:20,21  is  that  what  is  not  sin  per  se 
may  become  sin  under  certain  conditions  arising  from  our 
relations  to  others.    For  example : 

1.  Eating  meat  offered  to  idols  is  lawful  per  se,  Rom. 
14 :  14 ;  I  Cor.  8 : 4. 

2.  But  if  it  cause  a  weak  brother  to  worship  idols,  then 
charity  may  justify  a  total  abstinence  pledge,  14:21;  I 
Cor.  8: 13. 

»25 


226      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

3.  This  thing  lawful  per  se,  but  hurtful  in  its  associa- 
tions and  effects  on  the  weak,  may  be  also  the  object  of 
church-prohibition,  the  Holy  Spirit  concurring,  Acts  15:29. 

4.  And  a  church  refusing  to  enforce  the  prohibition  be- 
comes the  object  of  Christ's  censure  and  may  forfeit  its 
office  or  lamp-stand.  Rev.  2: 14-16. 

In  this  whole  chapter  (14),  particularly  in  the  paragraph, 
verses  22,  23,  (i)  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  word,  "faith," 
(2)  does  the  closing  paragraph  make  all  accountability  de- 
pendent on  subjective  moral  conviction,  and  (3)  does  it 
teach  that  the  actions  of  unbelievers  are  sins? 

1.  Faith,  in  this  chapter  throughout,  does  not  so  much 
refer  to  the  personal  acceptance  of  Christ  as  to  the  liberty 
in  practice  to  which  that  acceptance  entitles.  So  that,  "weak 
in  faith,"  verse  one,  does  not  imply  that  some  strongly 
accept  Christ  and  others  lightly.  But  the  matter  under 
discussion  is.  What  liberty  in  practice  does  faith  allow 
with  reference  to  certain  specified  things,  the  lawfulness  or 
expediency  of  which  may  be  a  matter  of  scruple  in  the  sensi- 
tive but  uninformed  conscience  of  some?  One  may  have 
faith  in  Christ  to  receive  Him  though  in  his  ignorance  he 
may  not  go  as  far  as  another  in  the  conception  of  the  liberty 
to  which  this  faith  entitles  him  as  to  what  foods  are  clean 
or  unclean,  what  days  are  holy  or  common  and  as  to  par- 
taking in  feasts  of  meats  which  have  been  offered  to  idols. 

2.  The  "whatsoever"  of  verse  23  is  neither  absolute  nor 
universal  in  its  application.  It  is  limited  first  to  the  specified 
things  or  their  kind,  and  second,  to  believers,  having  no 
reference  to  outsiders  making  no  profession  of  faith. 

3.  Subjective  moral  conviction  is  not  a  fixed  and  ulti- 
mate standard  of  right  and  wrong,  which  would  be  a  mere 
sliding  scale,  but  it  is  God's  law ;  yet  this  chapter,  and 
particularly  its  closing  paragraph,  seems  to  indicate  that 
the  willful  violation  of  conscience  contains  within  itself  a 
seed  of  destruction  as  has  been  intimated  in  chapter  2 :  14-16. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CLOSING  CHAPTERS    227 

4.  If  this  whole  chapter  was  not  an  elaboration  of  the 
duties  of  a  Christian  toward  his  fellow-Christian,  both  pre- 
sumed to  be  members  of  one  body,  the  particular  church, 
it  might  plausibly  be  made  to  appear  that  "faith"  in  this 
chapter  means  belief  of  what  is  right  and  wrong. 

The  theme  of  chapter  16  is  The  Courteous  Recognition 
of  the  Christian  Merits  and  Labors  of  all  Workers  for 
Christ,  Each  in  His  Own  or  Her  Own  Sphere.  The  great 
lessons  of  this  chapter  are — 

1.  As  we  have  in  this  letter  the  most  complete  and  sys- 
tematic statement  of  Christian  doctrine,  and  the  most 
systematic  and  elaborate  application  of  morals  based  on 
the  doctrine,  so  appropriately  its  conclusion  is  the  most 
elaborate  and  the  most  courteous  recognition  of  the  Chris- 
tian merits  and  labors  of  all  classes  of  kingdom  workers  in 
their  respective  spheres. 

2.  With  the  Letter  to  Philemon  it  is  the  highest  known 
expression  of  delicate  and  exquisite  courtesy. 

3.  It  is  a  revelation  of  the  variety  and  value  of  woman's 
work  in  the  apK)stolic  churches,  and  in  all  her  fitting  spheres 
of  activity. 

4.  It  is  a  revelation  of  the  value  of  great  and  conse- 
crated laymen  in  the  work  of  the  kingdom. 

5.  It  is  a  revelation  of  the  fellowship  of  apostolic  Chris- 
tians and  their  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  each  other. 

6.  It  magnifies  the  graces  of  hospitality. 

7.  It  magnifies  the  power  of  family-religion  whether  of 
husband  and  wife,  brother  and  sister,  more  distant  kindred, 
or  master  and  servant. 

8.  It  digs  up  by  the  roots  a  much  later  contention  and 
heresy  of  one  big  metropolitan  church  in  a  city,  with  a 
dominant  bishop,  exercising  authority  over  smaller  churches 
and  "inferior  clergy"  in  that  it  clearly  shows  that  there 
was  not  in  central  Rome  one  big  church,  with  a  nascent  pope, 
lording  it  over  suburban  and  village  churches.    There  was 


228      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

no  hero,  no  "church  of  Rome,"  but  several  distinct  churches 
in  Rome  whose  individuality  and  equality  are  distinctly 
recognized. 

9.  It  shows  the  fellowship  of  churches,  however  remote 
from  each  other,  and  their  comity  and  co-operation  in  king- 
dom work. 

10.  It  shows  in  a  remarkable  way  how  imperial  Rome 
with  its  world-wide  authority,  its  military  roads  and  ship- 
lines,  its  traffic  to  and  fro  from  center  to  each  point  of 
the  circumference  of  world-territory  and  its  amalgamation 
of  nations,  was  a  providential  preparation  for  the  propa- 
gation of  a  universal  religion. 

11.  The  case  of  Phoebe  (16:1)  in  connection  with 
hints  here  and  elsewhere,  particularly  I  Tim.  3:11,  sand- 
wiched between  verses  10  and  12,  seems  to  prove  the  office 
of  deaconess  in  the  apostolic  churches,  of  the  propriety  and 
apparent  necessity  of  which  there  can  be  no  question. 

12.  The  various  names  of  those  saluted  and  saluting, 
about  35  in  all,  indicating  various  nationalities,  not  only 
show  that  the  middle  wall  of  partition  between  Jews  and 
Gentiles  is  broken  down  in  the  churches,  but  that  in  the 
kingdom  "there  cannot  be  Greek  and  Jew,  circumcision  and 
uncircumcision,  barbarian,  Scythian,  bondman,  freeman,  but 
Christ  is  all  and  in  all." 

13.  But  the  lesson  seems  greatest  in  its  mercy  and  privi- 
leges conferred  on  women  and  slaves. 

14.  The  homiletic  value,  in  pulpit  themes  suggested, 
from  these  various  names,  labors  and  conditions,  which 
Spurgeon  seems  to  have  recognized  most  of  all  preachers. 

Let  us  now  expound  the  entreaty  in  verses  17,  18,  con- 
taining the  following  points : 

I.  We  need  to  distinguish  between  those  "causing  the 
divisions"  and  "those  causing  occasions  of  stumbling."  The 
"divisions"  would  most  likely  come  from  a  bigoted  and  nar- 
row Jew  insisting  on  following  Moses  in  order  to  become 


FRAGMENTS  OF  CLOSING  CHAPTERS    229 

a  Christian,  as  in  the  churches  of  Galatia,  Corinth  and  else- 
where, but  those  "causing  occasions  of  stumbHng"  (as  in 
14: 14-22)  would  likely  be  Gentiles  insisting  on  the  extreme 
of  liberty  in  the  eating  of  meats  offered  to  idols,  and  like 
things. 

2.  While  both  classes  are  in  the  church,  and  not  out- 
siders, as  many  teach,  yet  neither  class  possesses  the  spiritual- 
mindedness  and  charity  of  a  true  Christian,  but  under  the 
cloak  of  religion  they  serve  their  own  passions  for  bigotry 
in  one  direction  or  license  in  another  direction,  utterly  mis- 
apprehending the  spiritual  character  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

3.  Both  classes  are  to  be  avoided  as  enemies  of  the  cross 
of  Christ.    Compare  Phil,  3:18;  Gal,  5 :  19-23. 

In  verse  20  there  are  three  points : 

1.  There  is  an  allusion  to  the  promise  in  Gen.  3: 11  that 
the  Seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 

2.  This  was  fulfilled  by  Christ's  triumph  on  the  cross 
over  Satan,  Col.  2: 15. 

3.  And  will  be  fulfilled  in  all  Christ's  seed  at  the  final 
advent. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  three  thingSv noted  on  Rom.  14:9? 

2.  Does  the  latter  clause  of  14:  14  make  our  thought  of  what  is 
sin  the  standard  of  sin?    If  not,  what  does  it  mean? 

3.  What  the  doctrine  of  14 :  20, 21  ?    Give  examples. 

4.  In  the  whole  of  chapter  14,  particularly  in  the  paragraph, 
verses  22,23,  (i)  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word,  "faith?"  (2) 
Does  the  closing  paragraph  make  all  accountability  dependent  on 
subjective  moral  conviction  ?  (3)  Does  it  teach  that  the  actions  of 
unbelievers  are  sins? 

5.  What  the  great  lessons  of  chapter  i6? 

6.  What  preacher  seems  to  have  most  recognized  the  homiletic 
value  of  this  chapter? 

7.  Expound  the  entreaty  in  16 :  17, 18. 

8.  What  the  three  points  of  16:20? 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILIPPIANS 

XXII 

INTRODUCTION 
Scriptures:  All  references 

WE  come  now  to  the  third  group  of  Paul's  letters, 
i.  e.,  the  letters  of  his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome. 
These  letters,  in  chronological  order,  are  Philip- 
pians,  Philemon,  Colossians,  Ephesians,  and  Hebrews. 

It  would  be  well  at  this  point  to  name  several  books, 
most  of  which  have  already  been  given,  as  general  helps  on 
the  whole  group:  Conybeare  &  Howson's  "Life  and  Epis- 
tles of  Paul,"  Farrar's  "Life  and  Letters  of  Paul,"  Stalker's 
"Life  of  Paul,"  "Horse  Paulina,"  by  Wm.  Paley,  Robert- 
son's "Syllabus  of  N.  T.  Study,"  "St.  Paul,"  by  Adolphe 
Monod,  "Meyer's  Translation,"  "Divine  Authority  of 
Paul's  Writings,"  by  Malcolm  McGregor,  The  author's 
Sermon  before  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention  at  Hot 
Springs,  Ark.,  1908,  on  "The  Nature,  Person  and  Offices 
of  our  Lord  and  His  Relations  to  the  Father,  the  Universe 
and  the  Church,"  Wilkinson's  "Epic  of  Saul"  and  "Epic  of 
Paul." 

The  special  helps  on  this  book  are  as  follows : 
For  Exposition — "Lightfoot  on  Philippians"  (the  best  for 
exposition  and  criticism,)  "American  Commentary,"  "Pidge 
on  Philippians,"  Cambridge  Bible,  "Moule  on  Philippians," 
Expositors'  Bible,  "Rainey  on  Philippians,"  Speakers'  or 
"Bible  Commentary,"  "Jamieson,  Fausset  &  Brown,"  brief 
and  critical. 

231 


232      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

For  Homiletics  as  well  as  Exposition — "The  Pulpit  Com- 
mentary" on  Philippians,  Robert  Hall's  "Expository  Ser- 
mons on  Philippians,"  Johnston's  "Expository  Lectures." 

For  Devotion — Hoyt's  "Gleams  from  the  Prison  of  Paul." 

For  Geographical  and  Historical  Setting — Both  Cony- 
beare  &  Howson  and  Farrar  cited  in  the  general  helps  for 
the  group  of  letters,  to  which  we  may  add  Ramsay  on  "Paul 
the  Traveler,"  and  Forbes  on  the  "Footsteps  of  Paul." 

Expository,  Practical  and  Devotional — Matthew  Henry, 
or  better,  "The  Comprehensive  Commentary,"  edited  by 
Jenkins. 

REMARKS 

1.  The  time  order  of  Philippians  given  above  has  been 
questioned,  on  plausible  grounds,  by  able  scholars,  but  the 
author  believes  that  the  stronger  arguments  support  the 
order  given. 

2.  The  assignment  of  the  authorship  of  Hebrews  to 
Paul  and  its  collocation  above  have  both  been  confidently 
challenged  by  able  modern  scholars,  whose  arguments  will 
receive  most  respectful  consideration  in  the  introductory 
chapters  to  that  book.  The  author  will  claim  for  his  own 
views  on  both  points  no  more  value  than  the  weight  of  his 
reasons  warrants. 

The  Importance  of  this  group  of  letters  has  never  been 
questioned.    In  them  is  a  distinct  advance — 

1.  In  the  ampHfication  of  the  plan  of  salvation. 

2.  In  clearness  and  volume  of  doctrine  concerning  the 
nature,  person,  and  offices  of  our  Lord,  in  order  to  meet 
new  heresies  developed  in  the  churches. 

3.  In  the  idea,  purpose  and  mission  of  the  church. 

4.  In  the  relations  of  the  Old  Covenant  to  the  New 
Covenant,  and  the  supersession  of  the  Old  by  the  New. 

These  very  great  advances  in  New  Testament  teaching 
invest  these  letters  with  a  value  for  all  people  of  all  time. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  PHILIPPIANS         233 

Their  importance  appears  also  from  the  relations  of  the 
group  to  other  New  Testament  books  before  and  after : 

1.  We  find  in  Philippians  3  the  connecting  link  with 
the  controversies  of  the  preceding  group  of  letters,  and 
in  2:5-11  an  introduction  to  Colossians  and  Ephesians. 

2.  We  find  not  only  additions  to  the  history  of  Paul 
which  was  abruptly  closed  in  Acts,  and  light  on  the  prison 
life  in  Rome,  but  we  see  that  the  word  of  God  cannot  be 
bound,  nor  the  outgoings  of  a  great  Christian  heart  im- 
prisoned. 

3.  We  will  be  prepared  to  understand  better  all  the 
succeeding  letters  of  Paul,  with  their  hints  of  additional 
history. 

4.  We  find  that  other  New  Testament  authors,  far  re- 
mote from  each  other,  are  constrained  to  write  to  the  same 
people  addressed  by  this  group  of  letters,  mainly  on  the 
same  lines  of  thought,  and  with  a  view  to  correcting  the 
same  dangerous  heresies.  To  one  province  of  Asia  Minor 
the  eyes  of  Paul  in  Rome,  Peter  in  Babylon,  John  in  Ephesus 
or  an  exile  in  Patmos,  Jude  in  Jerusalem,  are  all  turned  in 
deepest  concern. 

To  become  systematic  theologians  on  the  plan  of  salva- 
tion ;  to  have  full  conceptions  of  the  nature,  person,  offices 
and  relations  of  our  Lord;  to  have  a  rounded  conception 
of  the  "idea,  purpose  and  mission  of  the  church;  to  know 
the  relations  between  the  covenants,  the  abrogation  of  the 
one  in  order  to  its  supersession  by  the  other,  every  way 
superior,  we  must  master  this  group  of  letters.  We  should 
lay  hold  on  all  available  help  and  give  honest,  hard,  pains- 
taking and  prayerful  study  to  the  letters.  There  is  no  room 
here  for  the  idler.  Mental  and  heait  laziness  should  have 
no  place  here. 

We  should  not  only  acquire  the  needful  knowledge,  paying 
whatever  necessary  cost,  but  assimilate  it  in  our  lives  that 
in  wisdom  we  may  apply  it  to  life's  emergencies.    It  is  not 


234      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

sufficient  that  we  be  good  ministers,  but  able  ministers  also, 
of  our  Lord.  While  it  is  the  business  of  our  Seminaries  to 
give  edge  to  the  ax  and  point  to  the  sword,  it  is  the  stu- 
dent's business  to  turn  the  grindstone.  Nor  will  mere  equip- 
ment serve  the  purpose.  We  must  learn  how  to  use  the 
sharpened  tools  to  the  best  advantage.  Not  what  we  eat, 
but  what  we  digest  becomes  a  part  of  ourselves. 

As  we  take  up  each  letter  of  the  group  these  questions  at 
least  must  be  answered:  Who  wrote  it?  When?  From 
what  place  and  under  what  conditions?  To  whom  ad- 
dressed, and  their  condition?  What  the  occasion?  What 
the  purpose?  What  the  matter?  What  the  character  and 
style?  What  its  relation  to  other  books?  What  its  place 
in  the  canon?  What  its  contribution  to  the  sum  total  of 
Bible  truth?  What  its  great  pulpit  themes?  What  its  in- 
fluence on  later  times?  Moreover,  the  geographical  and 
historical  setting  should  be  as  familiar  as  our  front  yard. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  first  book  of  the  group.  The 
author  of  this  letter,  beyond  all  reasonable  question,  is  Paul. 
The  letter  avows  it ;  the  character,  style,  circumstances  and 
context  demonstrate  it;  abundant  historical  evidence  estab- 
lishes it.  When,  whence  and  under  what  circumstances  the 
letter  was  written  go  together  in  this  case.  The  date  deter- 
mines the  place,  and  vice  versa,  and  the  two  determine  the 
circumstances.  Some,  without  due  warrant,  have  contended 
for  Caesarea  as  the  place,  which  would  affect  both  date  and 
circumstances.  The  contention  rests  on  such  insufficient 
grounds  that  it  is  not  worth  our  while  to  waste  time  on  it. 
The  place  was  Rome.  The  circumstances  are  those  of  the 
author's  first  imprisonment  in  the  imperial  city,  as  briefly 
set  forth  by  Luke  in  Acts  28: 14-31,  and  supplemented  by 
allusions  in  all  the  letters  of  the  group.  See  particularly 
Philippians  1:12-25;  2:17;  4:10-18;  Philemon  verses  i, 
10,  22,  23;  Col.  4:3,  18;  Eph.  3:1;  Heb.  13:3,  18,  19, 
23,  24.    The  circumstances,  in  the  main,  were  these : 


INTRODUCTION  TO  PHILIPPIANS         235 

1.  Though  a  prisoner  he  was  not  closely  confined,  but 
allowed  to  live  in  his  own  hired  house,  using  it  as  a  preach- 
ing house,  and  for  the  reception  of  his  many  visitors  as 
well  as  a  center  of  wide  correspondence. 

2.  The  restraint  on  his  movements  consisted  in  his  being 
chained  to  a  soldier  of  the  Praetorian  guard,  changed  from 
time  to  time. 

3.  The  chaining  to  so  many  of  these  soldiers  in  succes- 
sion enabled  him  to  leaven  the  whole  division  of  the  em- 
peror's guard  with  the  gospel. 

4.  The  fact  of  the  restraint  on  his  personal  movements 
stirred  up  his  friends  to  preach  the  gospel  more  earnestly 
and  effectually,  and  also  gave  opportunity  to  his  Jewish 
enemies  in  the  Roman  churches  to  greater  activity  in 
preaching. 

5.  The  imprisonment,  in  checking  his  travels  and  limit- 
ing his  personal  preaching,  necessitated  a  resort  to  writing, 
which,  as  embodied  in  these  letters,  bequeathed  a  legacy  to 
all  succeeding  ages  incomparably  richer  than  could  have 
been  derived  from  all  his  viva  voce  sermons,  so  his  bonds 
tended  to  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel.  The  Word  of  God 
was  not  bound.  Through  these  letters  and  through  the 
labors  of  his  friends — Luke,  Timothy,  Tychicus,  Epaphrodi- 
tus,  Epaphras,  and  many  others — he  reached  the  heart  of 
the  world  and  superintended  the  work  of  two  continents. 

6.  The  beastly  and  bloody  Nero  was  the  reigning  Caesar, 
but  not  yet  were  his  hate  and  fury  turned  against  the  Chris- 
tians. Paul  had  not  yet  been  brought  to  trial — so  long  the 
law's  delay — but  felt  confident  of  acquittal,  and  was  assured 
in  heart  that  he  would  again  resume  his  missionary  activi- 
ties. This  hope  of  release  finds  expression  in  all  the  letters 
of  this  group.  He  held  himself  ready,  however,  for  life  or 
death. 

7.  His  support,  in  the  meantime,  was  a  serious  question, 
as  we  have  no  passage  to  show  that  he  was  permitted  to 


236      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHELIPPIANS 

work  at  his  trade.  Philippi,  at  least,  sent  contributions  to 
him,  but  we  have  no  knowledge  that  any  other  church  did, 
and  in  his  expression  of  thanks  for  this  help,  he  lets 
us  know  how  extreme  was  his  want  at  times,  Phil. 
4:11-13. 

The  exact  date  of  the  letter  is  not  so  clear,  nor  the  order 
of  place  in  the  group.  It  is  evident  that  the  letter  was 
not  written  in  the  beginning  of  his  two  years'  imprisonment 
at  Rome,  but  this  is  equally  evident  concerning  the  other 
letters  of  the  group.  All  of  them  belong  to  the  second  year, 
so  that  there  was  time  enough  for  all  necessarily  antecedent 
events  in  the  case  of  any  of  them.  Within  a  year  two  or 
more  trips  either  way  could  easily  have  been  made  from 
Rome  to  Philippi,  Colossse  and  Ephesus,  and  back  again 
to  Rome. 

The  letters  to  Philemon,  the  Colossians  and  the  Ephesians 
were  all  sent  at  one  time.  The  internal  evidence  is  strong 
that  Philippians  preceded  them,  and  that  Hebrews  was  the 
latest  of  all. 

The  third  chapter  of  Philippians  (with  1:15)  is  a  dis- 
tinct echo  of  the  great  controversies  in  the  letters  of  the 
preceding  group,  particularly  Galatians  and  Romans,  and  is 
both  the  connecting  link  and  surviving  wave  of  that  con- 
troversy. The  issue  in  Hebrews  is  quite  distinct,  and  relates 
to  an  utter  break  between  Christianity  and  Judaism — a 
later  development.  Colossians  and  Ephesians  contend 
against  a  heresy  unknown  to  Romans  and  Galatians. 

Thus,  while  Philippians  connects  back  with  the  preceding 
group,  it  is  equally  evident  that  chapter  2:6-11  on  the  na- 
ture, person  and  office-work  of  our  Lord  is  a  fitting  intro- 
duction to  the  enlarged  discussion  on  the  same  point  in 
Colossians  and  Ephesians.  The  time  order  of  the  group 
given  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  is  most  philosophical 
and  is  better  sustained  by  the  evidence.  The  date,  therefore, 
is  A.D.  62. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  PHILIPPIANS        a37 

The  occasion  of  the  letter  is  clear  from  the  context, 
2:25-30;  4:10-18: 

1.  The  church  at  Philippi,  having  learned  of  Paul's 
arrival  at  Rome,  his  imprisonment  there  and  consequent 
privation,  generously  (and  for  the  fourth  time  since  he 
established  the  church)  made  up  a  contribution  in  his  be- 
half, sending  it  by  Epaphroditus,  one  of  their  elders. 

2.  Epaphroditus,  stirred  in  heart  by  what  he  learned  at 
Rome,  entered  the  work  there  so  vigorously  that  he  brought 
on  an  almost  fatal  sickness. 

3.  The  concern  of  his  home  church  for  him  in  this  ill- 
ness, of  which  they  had  heard,  filled  him  with  longing  to 
return  to  them. 

4.  So  when  able  to  travel  he  is  sent  to  bear  this  letter. 
To  whom  addressed?    The  first  verse  tells  us:   "To  all 

the  saints  in  Christ  Jesus  that  are  at  Philippi,  with  the 
bishops  and  deacons."  The  history  of  the  establishment  of 
this  church  is  found  in  Acts  16,  and  is  elaborately  con- 
sidered in  the  interpretation  of  that  book.  Its  subsequent 
history  up  to  the  writing  of  this  letter  may  be  gathered 
from  allusions  in  Acts  20 : 1-6,  in  the  letters  of  the  preceding 
group,  and  in  this  letter.  Something  of  this  important  his- 
tory needs  restatement  here,  as  it  is  not  merely  thrilling  in 
interest  and  teeming  with  profitable  lessons,  but  because  it 
is  necessary  to  the  proper  interpretation  of  the  letter  itself : 

1.  Philippi  was  the  first  church  established  by  Paul  in 
Europe.  Only  the  churches  in  Rome,  established  by  others, 
preceded  it  in  Europe. 

2.  The  marks  of  a  special  providence  leading  to  its 
establishment  are  exceptionally  clear  and  convincing.  It 
was  not  in  Paul's  mind  to  pass  over  into  Europe  at  this 
time,  but  quite  otherwise.  His  mind  turned  to  pro-consular 
Asia,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  forbade  him  at  this  time  (Acts 
16:6),  opening  later,  when  matters  were  riper,  a  great  and 
effectual  door  in  that  province  (Acts  19,  and  I  Cor.  16:8,9). 


238      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

Barred  from  Asia,  he  attempted  to  go  into  Bithynia,  but 
the  Spirit  of  Jesus  suffered  him  not  (Acts  16:7),  and  so 
he  was  led  to  Troas  on  the  iEgaean  Sea,  which  separated 
Asia  from  Europe,  and  there,  at  his  wits'  end,  a  vision 
directed  him  to  Macedonia.  The  lessons  of  this  providen- 
tial guidance  are  valuable  for  all  time,  towit : 

(a)  Jesus  selects  the  preacher's  field  of  labor,  as  well 
as  the  preacher  himself. 

(b)  It  is  not  His  method  to  require  the  conversion  of 
everybody  in  one  field,  whether  country  or  city,  before 
carrying  the  gospel  elsewhere,  but  to  establish  here  and 
there  centers  of  radiating  light. 

(c)  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  guide  of  both  preacher  and 
church,  and  His  mind  may  be  assuredly  gathered  from  in- 
ward monition,  outward  circumstances  and  Providence. 

Philippi  was  a  Roman  Colony,  with  Roman  citizenship, 
Roman  law  and  magistrates,  to  which  facts  there  is  abun- 
dant incidental  allusion  in  both  the  history  and  the  letter. 
At  no  other  place  of  his  labors,  so  far,  were  there  relatively 
so  few  Jews — not  even  one  synagogue.  There  was  only  a 
prayer  chapel,  and  here  first  does  he  meet  pure  Gentile 
persecution.  All  persecutions  of  both  our  Lord  and  His 
church,  so  far,  were  either  altogether  Jewish  or  instigated 
by  Jews,  and  so  will  it  be  for  years  to  follow,  Ephesus 
being  a  later  exception,  till  Nero's  fiery  hate  and  Domitian's 
cold-blooded  tyranny  make  Gentile  persecution  the  rule. 
Hence  the  Philippian  church  is  unique  in  its  history  until 
it  drops  out  of  history  altogether,  leaving  scarcely  a  memo- 
rial behind. 

It  surpassed  all  the  other  apostolic  churches  in  liberality 
and  in  fidelity  to  the  simplicity  of  gospel  doctrine,  and  these 
characteristics  abide  for  all  the  years  it  remains  in  historic 
light.  So  Ignatius  found  it  on  his  way  to  Roman  martyr- 
dom, and  Polycarp  in  his  letter  to  the  Philippians  could 
only  imitate  this  letter  of  Paul.    It  was  in  this  church,  fol- 


INTRODUCTION  TO  PHILIPPIANS         239 

lowed  by  other  churches  among  the  Greeks,  that  the  Chris- 
tian woman  comes  into  a  prominence  hardly  possible  where 
the  Jewish  element  predominated,  and  the  only  rebuke  in 
the  letter,  and  that  a  very  gentle  one,  seeks  the  reconcilia- 
tion of  two  prominent  women. 

The  characteristics  of  the  letter  are : 

1.  Pre-eminently  it  is  a  letter  of  joy.  "I  rejoice — ^ye 
rejoice,"  echoing  the  beatitude  of  our  Lord,  "Rejoice  and 
be  exceeding  glad."  Moreover,  it  is  joy  in  sorrow,  affliction 
and  persecutions,  as  when  the  writer,  while  with  them  "sang 
praises  at  midnight,"  notwithstanding  stripes,  bonds,  dun- 
geons, and  threatened  death.  Yet  again,  like  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  it  gives  a  sovereign  specific  for  happiness 
(4:6-9)  whatever  the  outward  circumstance. 

2.  It  is  interpenetrated  with  doctrines,  not  in  formal 
statement  as  in  Galatians,  Romans  and  Hebrews,  but  in 
incidental  allusion  for  practical  ends.  To  the  author  it  is 
an  amazing  thing  that  commentators  should  characterize  it 
as  the  letter  without  doctrine.  It  goes  far  beyond  Romans 
and  Galatians  in  the  sweep  of  its  doctrinal  teaching.  It  will 
surprise  any  student  who  attempts  to  make  a  list  of  its 
doctrines,  and  compare  them  with  the  sum  of  the  doctrines 
in  other  letters.  The  author  surprised  himself  in  that  way, 
and  after  filling  a  page  of  legal  cap,  one  doctrine  to  the 
line,  he  gave  up  the  job,  for  his  list  would  equal  the  sen- 
tences of  the  letter  itself,  and  yet  only  four  doctrines  are 
stated  elaborately — the  doctrine  of  our  Lord,  2:6-11;  the 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  3:1-10;  the  doctrine  of 
perfection  in  soul  and  body,  3: 11-14;  the  recipe  forliappi- 
ness,  4:6-8. 

3.  Because  of  its  abundant  and  correlative  doctrines,  all 
applied  practically,  it  has  ever  been  a  rich  field  for  homi- 
letics.  It  was  this  characteristic  that  led  Robert  Hall  (with 
others)  to  select  the  whole  letter  for  a  series  of  expository 
sermons  delighting  himself  and  his  audience.    In  preaching 


240      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

from  Romans,  Galatians  and  Hebrews  one  cannot  escape 
topical  discussion,  so  perfect  the  system  of  truth,  so  closely 
connected  and  graded  the  argument,  and  so  single  the  cli- 
max. But  from  Philippians  we  may  cull  a  hundred  fine 
and  distinct  themes  for  textual  preaching,  sometimes  several 
in  a  single  sentence.  On  this  account  also  it  is  easy  to 
give  an  analysis  of  Romans,  Galatians  and  Hebrews,  but 
quite  difficult  to  give  a  satisfactory  analysis  of  Philippians. 

It  is  evident  from  many  allusions  that  this  church  kept 
in  closer  touch  with  Paul  than  any  other  established  by 
him.  After  leaving  Ephesus  Paul  returned  to  Macedonia, 
Acts  20 : 1 ;  H  Cor.  2 :  12,  13 ;  8:5,6.  Still  later,  on  leaving 
Corinth  he  returned  to  Philippi  and  there  kept  the  passover, 
Acts  20 : 6.  And  it  is  every  way  probable  that  once  at  least 
after  his  release  at  Rome  he  visited  this  church.  See  Phil. 
1 :  24,  25  and  I  Tim.  i :  3.  On  the  other  hand,  this  church 
sent  contributions  to  him  twice  while  at  Thessalonica,  once 
at  least  while  at  Corinth,  (H  Cor.  11:9,)  then  here  at  Rome. 

On  the  authenticity  of  this  letter  there  is  no  room  for 
reasonable  doubt.  The  early  historic  testimony  is  abundant 
and  clear.  All  the  ancient  versions  contain  it.  Early  in 
the  second  century  Ignatius  and  Polycarp  quote  it  and 
imitate  it.  Late  in  the  second  century  Clement  of  Alexan- 
dria and  Irenaeus  quote  it,  and  somewhat  later  TertuUian 
bears  direct  testimony  to  it.  Apart  from  all  external  evi- 
dence, the  letter  itself  in  spirit,  style  and  genius  attests 
itself. 

But  there  is  a  proof  in  our  day  more  satisfying  to  the 
individual  soul  than  any  of  these.  That  proof  is  experi- 
mental. Whoever  reads  the  letter  as  God's  word  and  fol- 
lows its  direction  finds  in  himself  a  verification;  all  its 
faith,  joy,  hope  and  love  abide  in  him.  The  author  has  found 
by  application  of  its  doctrines  and  promises  to  his  own 
heart  demonstrations  that  it  is  God's  book. 

Of  the  post-apostolic  history  of  this  church  only  two 


INTRODUCTION  TO  PHILIPPIANS         241 

notable  incidents  are  known,  and  both  of  these  occurred 
but  a  few  years  after  the  death  of  John.  The  one  was  the 
great  reception  given  by  the  church  to  Ignatius,  the  prisoner, 
on  his  way  to  martyrdom  at  Rome;  the  other  was  Poly- 
carp's  letter  to  the  Philippians  in  reply  to  their  request. 
Both  were  notable  events,  deeply  impressing  the  hearts  of 
the  Philippians  and  long  remembered.  The  letter  of  Poly- 
carp,  John's  disciple,  we  find,  somewhat  abridged — in  the 
Cambridge  Bible.  There  are  many  quotations  in  it  from 
our  Lord  and  Paul.  Apart  from  the  quotations  we  find 
allusions,  more  or  less  direct,  to  New  Testament  writings 
in  almost  every  sentence. 

We  may  perhaps  infer  one  important  lesson  from  the 
silence  of  history  henceforward  concerning  this  most  faith- 
ful of  the  apostolic  churches — a  lesson  embodied  in  the 
proverb:  "Blessed  is  the  land  that  has  no  history."  The 
point  of  the  proverb  lies  in  the  fact  that  history  is  devoted 
mainly  to  great  changes,  convulsions,  revolutions  and  crimes. 
The  peaceful,  happy  life  has  no  records.  That  church  or 
man  becomes  most  notorious  that  does  unusual  things  and 
develops  the  most  startling  heresies.  On  this  account  the 
church  historian  finds  it  easier  to  trace  departures  from 
gospel  order  and  life  than  conformity  with  them.  The 
Roman  apostasy  leaves  a  broader  and  more  sharply  defined 
historic  trail  than  all  the  faithful  churches  put  together. 
The  harlot  is  in  the  city  clothed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  while 
the  true  woman  is  nourished  in  the  wilderness  (Rev.  12:6; 
17:1-8). 


24a      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Of  what  group  of  Paul's  letters  is  this  one  a  part? 

2.  Name  the  letters  in  chronological  order. 

3.  What  general  helps  on  the  whole  group? 

4.  What  special  helps  on  this  book  commended  ? 

5.  What  two  special  remarks  on  this  group? 

6.  What  the  importance  of   the  group  in   distinct  advance  on 
preceding  parts  of  New  Testament? 

7.  What  the  importance,  in  view  of  the  relations  of  these  let- 
ters to  both  preceding  and  subsequent  New  Testament  books? 

8.  What  the  importance  of  mastering  this  group  of  Paul's  let- 
ters ? 

9.  What  is  necessary  in  acquiring  knowledge?    Illustrate. 

10.  What  questions  must  be  answered  relative  to  each  book  of 
this  group? 

11.  Who  the  author,  and  what  the  proof? 

12.  Where  written,  and  what  the  proof? 

13.  What  the  circumstances  of  the  writer,  and  what  their  effect 
on  the  spread  of  the  gospel  ? 

14.  What  can  you  say  of  the  date  and  the  order  in  the  group? 

15.  What  the  occasion? 

16.  To  whom  addressed? 

17.  Where  do  we  find  the  history  of  the  establishment  of  this 
church  and  its  development  up  to  the  writing  of  this  letter? 

18.  Restate  the  salient  points  of  this  history. 

19.  What  the  valuable  lessons  of  the  history? 

20.  What  the  peculiarities  of  this  city  and  church,  (i)  as  to  civil 
government,  (2)  as  to  Jewish  population,  and  (3)  as  to  persecutions 
there  ? 

21.  Wherein  did  it  surpass  other  apostolic  churches? 

22.  What  the  position  of  women  in  this  and  other  Greek 
churches  ? 

23.  What  the  great  characteristics  of  this  letter? 

24.  Why  is  it  more  difficult  to  give  an  analysis  of  Philippians  than 
of  Galatians  and  Romans? 

25.  Show  from  the  history  how  Paul  and  this  church  kept  in 
better  touch  with  each  other  than  was  the  case  of  most  other  churches. 

26.  What  the  evidence  of  the  authenticity  of  this  letter? 

27.  What  two  notable  events  only  characterize  the  post-apostolic 
history  of  this  church? 

28.  What  the  historic  value  of  Polycarp's  letter? 

29.  What  important  lesson  may  be  inferred  from  the  silence  of 
subsequent  history  concerning  this  church?    Illustrate  by  example. 


XXIII 

THE  ANALYSIS  AND  EXPOSITION 
Scripture:  Phil.  1:1-30 

ANALYSIS 

1.  The  Opening  Salutation,  1:1,2.  Note:  "Bishops  and 
deacons"  and  the  bearing  on  the  doctrine  of  church  officers, 
comparing  I  Tim.  3 : 1-13. 

2.  The  Thanksgiving,  1:3-7.  ^^  this  Thanksgiving, 
note :  (a)  What  constitutes  "fellowship  in  the  furtherance 
of  the  gospel,"  and  how  it  makes  the  helpers  "partakers  of 
the  grace."  (b)  The  meaning  of  "The  day  of  Jesus  Christ." 
(c)  The  meaning  of  "The  good  work  begun  in  us,"  and  con- 
trast with  the  work  done  for  us.  (d)  God's  perfecting  the 
work  begun  in  us  until  that  day,  and  compare  I  Thess.  5 :  23. 

3.  The  Prayer,  I  :S-ii. 

4.  The  Account  of  His  State  in  Prison,  1 :  12-30.  In 
this  account,  note:  (i)  The  Word  of  God  is  not  bound. 
The  chains  on  Paul  are  wings  to  his  gospel,  (a)  Many  sol- 
diers of  the  Praetorian  guard  to  whom,  in  turn,  Paul  was 
chained  thus  hear  and  are  saved,  who  never  otherwise  would 
have  heard,  4:22.  (b)  Each  saved  soldier  tells  the  news 
to  his  comrades,  (c)  His  friends,  who  left  the  work  to 
Paul  free,  take  up  the  work  for  Paul  bound,  (d)  Some 
Judaizing  Christians,  stirred  by  the  opportunity  of  his  bonds 
to  press  their  view  of  the  gospel,  preach  through  strife  some 
truth  of  Christ.  (2)  The  meaning  of  these  expressions: 
(a)  "Set  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel."  (b)  "Christ  mag- 
nified by  life  or  death."    (c)  "The  supply  of  the  Spirit  of 

^44 


«44      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

Christ."    (d)  "To  live  is  Christ— to  die  is  gain."    (e)  "The 
strait  betwixt  two."    (f)  "I  know  that  I  shall  abide"— how? 

5.  Exhortation — part  I,  i :  27 — 2 : 4.  Note  the  expres- 
sions: (a)  "In  nothing  affrighted  by  the  adversaries."  (b) 
The  double  "token"  in  i :  28,  comparing  II  Thess.  1 : 5.  (c) 
"Granted  to  suffer." 

6.  The  Great  Example  of  Our  Lord,  and  the  doctrines 
involved  concerning  His  deity,  original  glory,  voluntary  re- 
nunciation, humiliation,  sacrifice,  exaltation  and  restora- 
tion to  glory,  2:5-11.  Note:  (a)  Meaning  of  "form  of 
God."  (b)  Meaning  of  "counted  not  equality  with  God  a 
thing  to  be  grasped."     (c)  Meaning  of  "emptied  himself." 

7.  Exhortation — part  II,  2:12-18.  Note:  (a)  The  sal- 
vation in  us  compared  with  the  salvation  out  of  us,  or  re- 
generation and  sanctification  over  against  expiation  and 
justification,  (b)  Concerning  the  internal  salvation  that  we 
work  out  what  God  works  in,  but  concerning  the  external 
salvation  we  put  on  what  Christ  worked  out,  3 :  12,  14.  (c) 
"Lights  in  the  world."  (d)  "Holding  forth  the  word  of 
life."    (e)  "The  libation  on  the  sacrifice,"  verse  27. 

8.  Concerning  Timothy,  2 :  19-24. 

9.  Concerning  Epaphroditus,  2 :  25-30. 

10.  Exhortation — concluded,  3:  i. 

11.  Concision  of  the  flesh  vs.  circumcision  of  the  spirit, 
or  the  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  3:2,  18,  19.  See 
John  3:6,  7;  Gal.  4:22-31;  5:6-24;  Rom.  7:5-15;  Col. 
2: 11-23. 

12.  The  doctrine  of  justification,  negatively  and  posi- 
tively, 3:4-9.  Note:  "The  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord." 

13.  The  doctrine  of  sanctification  and  how  attained, 
3: 10-14,  and  2: 12,  13.  Note:  (a)  The  meaning  of  "attain 
unto  the  resurrection  from  the  dead."  (b)  The  meaning 
of  "laying  hold  on  all  for  which  Christ  laid  hold  on  me." 
(c)   "Forgetting  things  behind  and  stretching  forward  to 


ANALYSIS  AND  EXPOSITION  845 

things  before."     (d)  "The  high  caUing."     (e)  "The  goal." 
(f)  "The  prize." 

14.  The  doctrine  of  the  glorification  of  the  body,  3:21. 
See  I  John  3:2  and  I  Cor.  15:35-49,  for  the  dead,  and 
I  Cor.  15  :  50-54,  for  the  living. 

15.  Citizenship  in  heaven  as  contrasted  with  the  Philip- 
pian  citizenship  in  Rome,  3 :  20,  and  compare  Eph.  2 :  19  as 
contrasted  with  citizenship  in  Jerusalem. 

16.  Paul's  joy  and  crown,  4:  i.    See  I  Thess.  2: 19,  20. 

17.  Women  to  the  front  for  strife  or  work,  4:2,  3. 

18.  The  Yoke- fellow,  4:3. 

19.  The  book  of  life,  4 : 3. 

20.  "Rejoice  always — rejoice,"  4:4. 

21.  "The  Lord  is  at  hand."  What  does  it  mean?  4:4, 
and  compare  Jas.  5 : 8,  9. 

22.  The  great  recipe  for  happiness,  4 : 6-9. 

23.  A  great  Christian  sacrifice  and  its  effect,  4: 10-18. 

24.  Benediction  and  closing  salutation,  4 :  20-23.  ^ote: 
Caesar's  household. 

EXPOSITION 

Address  and  opening  salutation,  1:1,  2. — Paul  associates 
Timothy  with  himself  in  addressing  this  letter,  because  Tim- 
othy, having  been  associated  with  him  in  the  establishment 
of  the  church,  had  their  welfare  at  heart,  as  they  had  good 
reason  to  know,  and  because  he  purposes  to  send  him  as  a 
forerunner  of  his  own  coming  (2:19-23).  There  is  here 
no  assertion  of  his  apostolic  claims,  as  in  some  other  let- 
ters, because  at  Philippi  these  had  never  been  questioned, 
but  he  assumes  for  himself  and  Timothy  only  the  title  of 
"bondservants  of  Jesus  Christ."  The  letter  is  addressed  to 
all  the  saints  in  the  city,  and  only  inclusively  to  the  "bishops 
and  deacons."  It  is  significant  that  in  no  other  letter  are 
the  church  officers  included  in  the  address.  As  the  centuries 
pass  church  officers  grow  in  importance  and  the  church  de- 


«46      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

dines.  This  text  has  always  been  regarded  as  a  proof  that 
in  apostolic  churches  there  were  only  two  offices — bishop 
and  deacon — particularly  when  reinforced  by  the  stronger 
proof  in  I  Tim.  3:1-13,  where  in  the  most  formal  way 
the  qualifications  of  church  officers  are  set  forth.  We  con- 
front, therefore,  in  this  address  four  doctrines  of  ecclesiol- 
ogy,  namely : 

1.  The  particular  church  is  more  important  than  the 
officers,  including  them,  and  retaining  jurisdiction  over 
them,  and  indeed  capable  of  existence  without  them. 

2.  While  apostles,  prophets  and  evangelists  are  set  in 
the  church,  for  kingdom  purposes,  the  only  officers  charged 
with  local  duties  in  a  particular  church  are  two. 

3.  There  are  no  grades  in  the  ministry  notwithstanding 
the  later  innovations  of  the  Roman,  Greek  and  English 
hierarchies.  Note:  The  reader  should  study  Lightfoot's 
argument  on  this  point  in  his  "Commentary  on  Philippians." 

4.  There  was  here,  as  in  other  churches,  a  plurality  of 
bishops  the  meaning  of  which  deserves  special  considera- 
tion. 

All  of  these  doctrines  are  important,  and  ecclesiastical 
history  clearly  shows  how  most  harmful  innovations  grad- 
ually destroyed  the  simplicity  of  the  New  Testament  teach- 
ing on  the  church.  Baptists  and  Presbyterians  unite  in  con- 
testing the  Romanist,  Greek,  English  and  the  Methodist 
orders  in  the  ministry,  and  then  differ  from  each  other  on 
the  distinction  between  teaching  and  ruling  elders.  Just 
here  the  author  would  commend  to  the  reader  the  "Doc- 
trine of  the  Church,"  as  set  forth  in  his  discussion  of  "Dis- 
tinctive Baptist  Principles,"  pp.  9-14. 

But  briefly  now  note  that  in  Acts  20: 17,  28  "the  elders 
of  the  church"  at  Ephesus  are  also  called  "bishops."  They 
are  not  distinct  offices  or  grades  in  the  ministry.  A  preacher 
may  be  called  a  kerux,  herald,  on  acount  of  his  business  to 
proclaim  the  gospel.    He  may  be  called  presbuteros,  elder, 


ANALYSIS  AND  EXPOSITION  247 

to  indicate  his  official  position  in  the  church.  He  may  be 
called  episcopos,  bishop,  to  note  his  overseeing  or  ruling  the 
work  of  the  church.  He  may  be  called  "pastor"  or  "shep- 
herd," to  denote  his  duties  of  leading,  feeding  and  defend- 
ing the  flock.  He  may  be  called  "ambassador"  (though  this 
term  more  particularly  refers  to  apostles)  to  denote  that 
he  represents  Christ,  in  declaring  the  terms  of  reconciliation 
with  God.  It  is  certain  that  these  terms  do  not  teach  dif- 
ferent orders  in  the  ministry. 

On  the  plurality  of  elders  or  bishops  in  a  single  church 
we  may  note  these  passages :  ( i )  In  the  Jerusalem  church, 
Acts  11:30;  15:6,  22,  23;  21:18.  (2)  In  the  Ephesus 
church.  Acts  20: 17  and  I  Tim.  5 :  17,  19.  (3)  In  the  Phil- 
ippian  church,  Phil.  1:1.  (4)  In  other  churches,  Acts 
14 :  23.    Several  questions  here  arise : 

I.  What  is  the  office  of  elder?  Is  he  a  preacher?  The 
answer  is  clear  that  he  is  a  preacher.  The  Presbyterians, 
relying  on  I  Tim.  5:17,  make  a  distinction  between  "teach- 
ing elders"  who  are  preachers  and  "ruling  elders"  who  con- 
stitute a  "governing  board"  in  every  church.  And  on  the 
term,  "elder"  (Greek  preshuteros),  they  base  their  whole 
system  of  federal  government.  The  passage  in  Timothy 
must  be  put  to  hard  service  to  warrant  such  vast  conclu- 
sions. 

Paul  has  been  discussing  the  pensioning  of  certain  aged 
widows  whose  services  had  been  signal  for  the  cause,  and 
then  adds  that  elders  who  had  been  good  bishops  (rulers) 
should  receive  double  compensation,  particularly  if  they  had 
been  equally  serviceable  in  teaching  and  preaching.  In 
other  words,  he  is  discussing  the  duty  of  the  church  to  care 
for  its  superannuated  workers,  whether  widows  or  preach- 
ers, according  to  the  value  of  their  past  public  services.  It 
is  an  undue  straining  of  his  words  to  interpret  two  distinct 
classes  of  elders.  We  fairly  meet  all  the  meaning  of  all  the 
passages  when  we  say  that  wherever  a  church  was  organ- 


248      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ized,  all  who  had  the  recognized  call  to  preach  were  or- 
dained, whether  one  or  a  score.  Of  course  some  one  of 
these  preachers  would  be  selected  as  pastor  of  the  congre- 
gation, but  all  the  preachers  in  the  church  would  help  in  the 
work,  each  according  to  his  gifts,  in  teaching,  preaching 
and  overseeing  the  work  of  the  church. 

Many  Baptist  churches  of  today,  particularly  in  cities, 
have  in  their  membership  a  plurality  of  these  elders.  Of 
course  only  one  can  be  officially  pastor.  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
however,  had  an  "official  board  of  elders"  in  his  church. 
And  others  have  thought  that  such  ought  to  be  the  rule  in 
our  churches,  if  for  no  other  reason,  to  side-track  a  ruling 
board  of  deacons,  who  ought  to  be  restricted  to  their  care 
of  the  temporalities  of  the  church. 

The  Thanksgiving,  i :  3-7. — This  thanksgiving  is  remark- 
able for  its  use  of  the  terms,  "all,"  "always,"  and  "every," 
and  bears  very  high  testimony  to  this  exceptional  church. 
He  thanks  God  upon  "all"  his  remembrance  of  them,  being 
able  to  recall  nothing  bad  about  them,  and  "always"  in 
"every  prayer"  for  them — every  prayer  being  one  of  joy, 
on  account  of  one  thing. 

We  do  well  to  consider  that  ground  of  exceptional  thanks- 
giving. It  was  "their  fellowship  with  him  in  the  further- 
ance of  the  gospel"  by  which  they  "became  partakers  of  the 
grace."  He  refers  to  their  continuous  help  toward  him  ever 
since  he  led  them  to  Christ.  Other  churches  might  be  un- 
grateful— they  never  were.  Others  might  fail  to  see  that 
whoever  helped  the  preacher  had  an  investment  in  all  his 
work  of  which  they  could  not  be  robbed.  They  preached 
through  Paul,  and  shared  his  glory  and  reward.  What  a 
lesson  here  to  those  who  are  not  preachers.  The  idea  came 
from  our  Lord  himself:  "Whoever  receiveth  a  prophet 
shall  have  a  prophet's  reward,"  and  is  thus  admirably  ex- 
pressed by  John  in  regard  to  Gains:  "Beloved,  thou  doest 
a  faithful  work  in  whatsoever  thou  doest  toward  them  that 


ANALYSIS  AND  EXPOSITION  «49 

are  brethren  and  strangers  withal ;  who  bare  witness  to  thy 
love  before  the  church :  whom  thou  wilt  do  well  to  set  for- 
ward on  their  journey  worthily  of  God:  because  that  for 
the  sake  of  the  Name  they  went  forth,  taking  nothing  of  the 
Gentiles.  We  therefore  ought  to  welcome  such,  that  we 
may  be  fellowworkers  for  the  truth."  Gains  and  Dio- 
trephes  represent  the  missionary  and  the  anti-missionary 
of  apostolic  times. 

In  this  glorious  way  all  members  of  the  church  may  be- 
come missionary  preachers.  See  for  other  examples  the 
women  who  helped  our  Lord,  and  those  who  helped  Paul. 
Romans  16:1-4;  See  Paul's  extension  of  this  thanksgiving 
thought  in  4:10,  14-18.  The  next  thought  in  the  thanks- 
giving is  the  time  when  these  fellow-helpers  partake  of  the 
apostolic  grace  and  reap  the  fruition  of  their  sacrifices.  He 
says,  "In  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ."  This  is  the  day  of  His 
final  advent  when  He  rewards  all  His  saints  for  their  good 
works.  See  I  Cor.  3:11-15;  Rev.  22:12;  Luke  6:23; 
Mark  9:41. 

This  good  work  of  the  Philippians  originated  in  God's 
grace,  who  not  only  began  it  in  them,  but  will  perfect  it 
by  fruition  of  reward  in  the  day  of  Christ.  Note  the  mean- 
ing of  "began  a  good  work  in  you."  I  regret  that  this  ex- 
position of  the  passage  robs  me  of  one  of  my  early  ser- 
mons, and  it  may  so  rob  you.  The  idea  is  not  that  what 
He  begins  He  will  continue  to  the  end,  but  what  He  or- 
iginates that  will  He  crown  with  perfection  in  the  reward 
of  the  judgment.  While  the  primary  reference  here  is  that 
God  whose  grace  began  this  good  work  of  helping  the  mis- 
sionary will  put  the  crown  of  perfection  on  it  when  He  re- 
wards His  people,  yet  it  may  be  applied  to  any  other  work 
of  grace  in  the  heart.  It  will  not  be  a  broken,  unfinished 
column — a  stream  lost  in  the  desert.  What  God  commences 
He  completes.  Let  us  particularly  note  the  preposition, 
"until."     It  should  be  rendered  "at"  as  in  I  Thess.  5:23. 


260      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

The  idea  is  not  of  continuing  until  a  given  time,  but  per- 
fecting and  crowning  at  a  given  time,  i.  e.,  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

We  will  now  look  at  his  prayer.  In  chapter  i  from 
verses  8  to  ii,  we  get  a  real  continuance.  He  now  prays 
that  all  these  graces  in  their  hearts  may  be  continued  and 
abound.  That  is  what  he  prays  for,  that  their  love  may 
become  more  fervent.  We  pray  the  right  thing  for  a  Chris- 
tian when  we  pray  for  his  growth  in  grace ;  when  we  pray 
for  an  expansion  of  his  love ;  when  we  pray  for  an  enlarge- 
ment of  his  horizon.  If  he  lives  low  down  in  the  valley, 
let  us  take  him  on  the  wings  of  our  prayer  to  the  top  of 
the  mountain  and  let  him  see  what  a  big  world  it  is,  and 
keep  himself  from  narrow  thoughts  and  a  narrow  life. 
That  is  the  substance  of  his  prayer. 

The  fourth  point  of  the  analysis  is  the  account  of  his 
state  in  prison.  He  tells  them,  first  of  all,  and  it  is  a  glori- 
ous thing,  that  men  may  put  a  chain  on  Paul,  but  they  can't 
chain  his  love  and  his  faith  and  his  hope.  They  may  bind 
him  and  confine  him,  but  they  can't  put  chains  on  the  gos- 
pel. The  shackles  become  wings  to  the  gospel.  It  tends  to 
the  furtherance  of  the  gospel,  just  as  the  blood  of  the 
martyr  becomes  the  seed  of  the  church. 

This  was  accomplished  in  this  way :  The  emperor's  guard, 
called  the  Praetorian  Guard,  had  charge  of  the  State  prison- 
ers, and  one  sentinel  every  day  (and  perhaps  two)  was 
chained  to  Paul — Paul's  right  hand  to  the  sentinel's  left 
hand.  Where  Paul  walked  he  walked ;  whatever  Paul  said 
he  heard ;  whomsoever  Paul  received  he  saw,  and  to  what- 
ever was  said  he  was  a  listener.  I  have  sometimes  thought 
that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  if  there  was  some  way  of 
chaining  up  some  other  people  I  know  to  make  them  hear 
the  Word  of  God.    They  never  will  come  any  other  way. 

Some  of  these  soldiers  were  saved,  and  they  told  their 
comrades.    Then  his  friends,  looking  at  him,  the  great  mis- 


ANALYSIS  AND  EXPOSITION  251 

sionary  to  the  Gentiles,  held  in  bondage,  unable  to  go  about, 
thinking  of  Spain  and  other  ends  of  the  world  and  of  re- 
visiting the  churches  that  he  had  established — these  friends 
of  his  who  had  left  the  work  for  him  to  do  when  free — are 
now  stirred  up  to  take  hold  themselves  when  Paul  is  bound. 
Then  there  were  some  enemies  of  his — Christians  too, 
Judaizing  members  of  these  Roman  churches — stirred  by 
the  opportunity  of  his  bonds,  who  now  press  their  views 
of  the  gospel.  As  if  they  said,  "When  Paul  was  free  we 
had  no  chance  to  give  our  views,  but  Paul  is  tied  now,  and 
this  is  our  chance  to  present  our  side  of  it,"  and  they  did 
present  their  side  of  it,  preaching  some  truth.  We  had  the 
most  signal  example  that  ever  came  before  the  world,  I 
think,  here  in  Texas.  We  remember  the  strife  that  was 
stirred  up,  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  these  people  are  doing 
harder  work  now  than  they  ever  did  when  they  were  in 
Convention.  They  feel  a  responsibility  on  them  to  make 
good  their  claim,  and  I  rejoice,  for  most  of  them  are  good 
people,  strangely  misled  on  some  points,  but  as  Paul  said, 
"I  rejoice  that  Christ  is  preached." 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Give  an  analysis  of  the  letter. 

2.  Why  does  Paul  associate  Timothy  with  him  in  the  address? 

3.  What  four  doctrines  of  ecclesiology  are  involved  in  the  ad- 
dress ? 

4.  Prove  that  "elder"  and  "bishop"  are  not  two  distinct  offices, 
but  express  different  ideas  of  the  one  office. 

5.  Give  three  examples  of  New  Testament  churches  having  a 
plurality  of  elders  or  bishops,  and  one  general  passage  expressing 
the  custom. 

6.  Cite  several  names  applied  to  the  preacher  expressing,  not 
different  orders  in  the  ministry,  but  different  ideas  of  one  office. 

7.  Upon  what  issue  do  Baptists  and  Presbyterians  unite  against 
Romanist,  Greek,  English  and  Methodist  denominations  ? 

8.  On  what  passage  do  Presbyterians  rely  to  prove  a  distinction 
between  "teaching  elders"  and  "ruling  elders,"  and  how  do  you  ex- 
pound the  passage  so  as  to  rebut  their  contention? 

9.  What  noted  Baptist  preacher  had  in  his  church  a  board  of 
"ruling  elders?" 


252      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPriANS 

10.  When  the  apostles  "ordained  elders  in  every  church''  how  do 
you  prove  that  these  were  all  preachers,  and  not  a  board  of  ruling 
laymen  ? 

11.  What  other  denominations  besides  the  Presbyterians  have 
boards  of  "ruling  elders"  who  are  not  preachers? 

12.  What  the  one  great  ground  of  Paul's  thanksgiving  in  this 
letter? 

13.  What  do  you  understand  the  passage  to  mean,  and  cite  a 
parallel  passage  from  John? 

14.  What  is  meant  by  "partakers  of  the  grace,"  and  cite  a  parallel 
passage  from  our  Lord? 

15.  When  is  this  partaking  realized,  and  what  is  meant  by  "the 
day  of  Jesus  Christ?" 

16.  Rob  yourselves  of  a  big  sermon  by  expounding  "He  who 
began  a  good  work  in  you  will  perfect  it  at  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ," 
and  cite  a  parallel  passage  to  prove  that  "until"  should  be  "at,"  and 
other  scriptures  to  prove  that  rewards  of  Christians  are  bestowed  at 
that  time. 

17.  In  giving  an  account  of  his  prison-state,  show  how  the  apostle 
proves  that  his  bonds  gave  wings  to  the  gospel. 


XXIV 

GOD'S  PROVIDENCE  IN  PAUL'S  LIFE 
Scripture:  Phil,  i :  12 — 2 :  5 

IN  the  account  of  his  prison  condition,  i :  12-30,  there 
are  some  expressions  that  need  explanation.  He  says, 
"They,  knowing  that  I  am  set  for  the  defense  of  the 
gospel  *  *  *  " — and  he  was.  Whoever  touched  the  fringe 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  destroy 
it  or  to  make  light  of  it  had  Paul  to  fight.  All  over  the 
world  the  spirit  of  Paul  as  a  stalwart  soldier  stood  between 
the  pure,  simple  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  and  a  Judaizing 
tendency  that  would  have  made  Christianity  merely  a  Jewish 
sect,  and  in  the  same  way  he  stood  against  every  other  error. 
He  loved  the  gospel.  Every  promise  of  it  was  dear  to  him 
and  every  doctrine  was  sacred.  He  would  not  yield  the 
width  of  a  hair  on  a  principle.  "Set  for  the  defense  of  the 
gospel."  I  know  some  who  are  set,  but  they  are  not  set 
for  the  defense  of  the  gospel.  They  are  set  in  favor  of 
every  loose  view  of  doctrine  and  polity. 

Then  his  assurance  of  escaping  death  at  this  time :  "For 
I  know  that  this  shall  turn  out  to  my  salvation  *  *  *  And 
having  this  confidence,  I  know  that  I  shall  abide,  yea,  and 
abide  with  you  all."  This  is  not  hope  nor  conjecture,  but 
positive  knowledge  through  inward  assurance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  in  Acts  20 :  23 :  "The  Holy  Spirit  testifieth  unto 
me  in  every  city,  saying  that  bonds  and  afflictions  abide  me." 
See  another  case  of  the  reception  of  positive  spiritual  knowl- 
edge in  Acts  27:22-25.  Indeed,  he  expressly  says  that  the 
means  of  his  preservation  are  their  prayers  and  the  supply 
of  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ. 

«53 


254      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

The  context  here  seems  to  demand  that  "salvation," 
(Greek,  soteria)  as  in  some  other  instances,  (see  the  Greek 
of  Acts  27 :  34)  means  bodily  preservation  or  salvation 
from  physical  death.  The  "supply  of  the  Spirit"  means 
that  overruling  power  exercised  by  the  Spirit  which  wards 
off  impending  peril  as  in  Acts  18:9,  10;  II  Cor.  1:9,  10. 
Mark  that  here  the  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  "Spirit  of 
Christ"  because  He  is  Christ's  alter  ego — other  self — as  in 
John  14:18:  "I  will  not  leave  you  orphans;  I  will  come 
unto  you,"  and  yet  this  coming  was  in  the  Holy  Spirit, 
whom  Jesus,  as  well  as  the  Father,  sent  as  His  vicar  when 
He  ascended  to  heaven.    See  John  15:26. 

This  case  of  the  efficacy  of  the  Philippian  prayers,  instru- 
mentally  averting  Paul's  death  at  this  time,  should  sink 
deep  into  our  hearts.  They  prayed  that  Paul  might  escape 
death.  The  supply  of  the  Spirit  comes  as  the  means  through 
which  deliverance  is  effected.  Seneca  and  Burrus,  Nero's 
advisers  and  delegates  in  examining  State  prisoners,  are 
unconscious  of  supernatural  interposition,  and  yet  in  His 
own  strange  way,  the  Holy  Spirit  brings  it  about  that  Paul 
is  acquitted  at  this  time. 

Not  that  Paul's  death  at  that  time  would  have  frustrated 
the  glory  of  his  Lord,  for  he  himself  testified  that  Christ 
would  be  magnified  by  either  his  life  or  death,  nor  that 
extension  of  life  to  Paul  would  be  a  favor,  for  to  him  per- 
sonally death  would  be  a  gain  and  life  a  continued  cruci- 
fixion, but  that  his  life  just  yet  would  be  for  the  progress 
of  the  gospel  and  the  confirmation  of  the  saints. 

Looking  at  the  alternatives — "To  live  is  Christ,  to  die  is 
gain" — Paul  personally  was  in  "a  strait  betwixt  the  two, 
having  a  desire  to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is 
far  better  for  me:  nevertheless  to  abide  in  the  flesh  is 
more  needful  for  you."  His  own  desire  for  rest  and  glory 
was  to  find  gratification  in  death,  which  was  but  a  door 
opening  into  heaven  and  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  whereas 


GOD'S  PROVIDENCE  IN  PAUL'S  LIFE     255 

to  live  was  to  go  on  suffering  like  his  Lord.  But  when 
he  saw  that  his  living  meant  good  to  the  cause,  he  unself- 
ishly renounced  the  pleasure  of  death. 

This  is  not  the  first  time  in  his  history  of  his  suffering 
that  for  the  sake  of  others  he  welcomed  the  pain  of  living. 
In  the  second  letter  to  the  Corinthians  he  says,  "For  we 
know  that  if  the  earthly  house  of  our  tabernacle  be  dis- 
solved, we  have  a  building  from  God,  a  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal,  in  the  heavens.  For  verily  in  this  we  groan, 
longing  to  be  clothed  upon  with  our  habitation  which  is 
from  heaven.  *  *  *  For  indeed  we  that  are  in  this  taber- 
nacle do  groan,  being  burdened;  not  for  that  we  would 
be  unclothed,  but  that  we  would  be  clothed  upon,  that  what 
is  mortal  may  be  swallowed  up  of  life.  *  *  *  Being  there- 
fore always  of  good  courage,  and  knowing  that,  whilst  we 
are  at  home  in  the  body,  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord  ( for 
we  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight)  ;  we  are  of  good  courage, 
I  say,  and  are  willing  rather  to  be  absent  from  the  body, 
and  be  at  home  with  the  Lord,"  II  Cor.  5:1,  2,  4,  6-9. 

Exhortation,  part  I,  1:2/ — 2:4. — This  first  part  of  the 
exhortation  is  directed  to  one  great  end :  "Only  let  your 
manner  of  life  be  worthy  of  the  gospel  of  Christ."  The 
common  version  renders  it  "conversation"  instead  of  "man- 
ner of  life."  The  author  greatly  prefers  a  more  literal 
rendering  than  either:  "Live  your  citizen  life,"  otherwise 
we  miss  the  delicate  allusion  to  the  Roman  citizenship  en- 
joyed by  the  Philippian  colony,  and  the  higher  allusion  to 
Christian  citizenship  in  the  New  Jerusalem.  This  harmon- 
izes the  passage  with  the  context,  3  :  20 :  "For  our  citizenship 
is  in  heaven,  etc.,"  and  puts  it  in  line  with  the  great  passage 
in  Ephesians  2:11-19,  which  treats  of  the  "fellow-citizens 
with  the  saints." 

It  is  related  of  S.  S.  Prentiss  that  just  after  he  had  elec- 
trified the  nation  by  his  great  speech  before  Congress  in 
the  contest  for  his  seat  in  that  body,  in  which  he  emphasized 


256      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  thought  that  to  deny  him  his  seat  was  to  disfranchise 
Mississippi  and  rob  it  of  its  most  glorious  heritage,  he  was 
invited  by  ardent  admirers  to  deliver  an  address  in  New 
York  City,  on  which  occasion  his  only  theme  was  his  first 
word — "Fellow-Citizens."  Earth  never  heard  a  greater  ora- 
tion, and  every  man  in  the  audience  was  lifted  to  a  con- 
ception of  American  citizenship  high  as  the  shining  stars. 
The  sonorous  roll  of  his  magical  voice  in  the  mere  prolonged 
pronunciation  of  the  oft  repeated  word  "Fellow-Citizens" 
was  compared  to  the  archangel's  trumpet.  He  was  greater 
than  Cicero  against  Verres,  who  declared  that  earth's  high- 
est honor  was  to  be  able  to  say,  "I  am  a  Roman  citizen" 
and  earth's  meanest  tyrant  and  greatest  robber  was  one 
who  arbitrarily  stripped  an  accused  man  of  that  privilege. 
In  Acts  we  see  Paul  himself,  at  this  very  Philippi,  and 
again  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  16:37,  38  and  22:25),  terrify 
his  persecutors  by  his  claim  of  Roman  citizenship.  All  this 
goes  to  emphasize  his  one  great  exhortation :  "Live  your 
citizen  life  worthy  of  the  gospel,  whether  I  come  to  see  you 
or  be  absent."  He  then  shows  just  how  the  exhortation 
may  be  carried  out: 

1.  "Stand  fast  in  one  Spirit,  with  one  mind  striving 
together  for  the  faith  of  [i.  e.  the  truth  of]  the  gospel." 
This  is  an  exhortation  to  unity  so  marvelously  elaborated 
in  Ephesians  4: 1-6:  "I  therefore,  the  prisoner  in  the  Lord, 
beseech  you  to  walk  worthily  of  the  calling  wherewith  ye 
were  called,  with  all  lowliness  and  meekness,  with  long- 
suflfering,  forbearing  one  another  in  love;  giving  diligence 
to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.  There 
is  one  body,  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  also  ye  were  called  in 
one  hope  of  your  calling;  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism, 
one  God  and  father  of  all,  who  is  over  all,  and  through  all, 
and  in  all." 

2.  "In  nothing  terrified  by  your  adversaries."  The  ex- 
hortation is  most  timely  because  the  Philippian  Christians 


GOD'S  PROVIDENCE  IN  PAUL'S  LIFE     257 

were  persecuted  at  this  time  as  Paul  had  been  when  with 
them.  Indeed,  they  commenced  their  Christian  life  in  a 
fiery  furnace  which  had  never  cooled.  We  see  Paul's  glo- 
rious tribute  to  them  in  a  previous  letter :  "Moreover,  breth- 
ren, we  make  known  to  you  the  grace  of  God  which  hath 
been  given  in  the  churches  of  Macedonia;  how  that  in 
much  proof  of  affliction  the  abundance  of  their  joy,  and 
their  deep  poverty  abounded  unto  the  riches  of  their  liber- 
ality. For  according  to  their  power,  I  bear  witness,  yea, 
and  beyond  their  power,  they  gave  of  their  own  accord, 
beseeching  us  with  much  entreaty  in  regard  of  this  grace 
and  the  fellowship  in  the  ministering  to  the  saints:  and 
this,  not  as  we  had  hoped,  but  first  they  gave  their  own 
selves  to  the  Lord,  and  to  us  through  the  will  of  God," 
II  Cor.  8: 1-5.  To  encourage  them  to  follow  the  exhorta- 
tion he  assigns  three  reasons : 

1.  The  infliction  of  the  persecution  was  a  token  of  the 
damnation  of  their  persecutors. 

2.  Their  endurance  of  the  persecution  was  a  God-given 
token  of  their  salvation,  echoing  the  beatitudes  of  our  Lord : 
"Blessed  are  they  that  have  been  persecuted  for  righteous- 
ness' sake:  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed 
are  ye  when  men  shall  reproach  you,  and  persecute  you, 
and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely  for  my  sake. 
Rejoice  and  be  exceeding  glad :  for  great  is  your  reward  in 
heaven :  for  so  persecuted  they  the  prophets  that  were  be- 
fore you,"  Matt.  5  :  10-12. 

3.  This  suffering  therefore  in  behalf  of  Christ  was  a 
special  privilege  granted  to  favored  saints.  They  had  seen 
Paul  endure  the  same  conflict,  and  elsewhere  he  thus  enu- 
merates and  glories  in  his  afflictions:  "Are  they  ministers 
of  Christ?  (I  speak  as  one  beside  himself)  I  more;  in 
labors  more  abundantly,  in  prisons  more  abundantly,  in 
stripes  above  measure,  in  deaths  oft.  Of  the  Jews  five 
times  received  I  forty  stripes  save  one.    Thrice  was  I  beaten 


258      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

with  rods,  once  was  I  stoned,  thrice  I  suffered  shipwreck, 
a  night  and  a  day  have  I  been  in  the  deep;  in  journey ings 
often,  in  perils  of  rivers,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  from 
my  countrymen,  in  perils  from  the  Gentiles,  in  perils  in  the 
city,  in  perils  in  the  wilderness,  in  perils  in  the  sea,  in  perils 
among  false  brethren ;  in  labor  and  travail,  in  watchings 
often,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  fastings  often,  in  cold  and 
nakedness.  Besides  those  things  that  are  without,  there  is 
that  which  presseth  upon  me  daily,  anxiety  for  all  the 
churches.  Who  is  weak,  and  I  am  not  weak?  who  is  caused 
to  stumble,  and  I  burn  not?  If  I  must  needs  glory,  I  will 
glory  of  the  things  that  concern  my  weakness,"  II  Cor. 
1 1 :  23-30 ;  and,  "And  He  hath  said  unto  me.  My  grace  is 
sufficient  for  thee :  for  my  power  is  made  perfect  in  weak- 
ness. Most  gladly  therefore  will  I  rather  glory  in  my  weak- 
nesses, that  the  power  of  Christ  may  rest  upon  me.  Where- 
fore I  take  pleasure  in  weaknesses,  in  injuries,  in  necessi- 
ties, in  persecutions,  in  distresses,  for  Christ's  sake:  for 
when  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong,"  II  Cor.  12 19, 10. 

He  then  clinches  the  exhortation  to  unity  and  unselfish- 
ness by  five  other  mighty  considerations:  (i)  "If  there 
be  any  comfort  in  Christ,  (2)  if  there  be  any  consolation 
of  love,  (3)  if  there  be  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit,  (4)  if 
there  be  any  tender  mercies  and  compassions,  (5)  if  you 
wish  to  fulfill  my  joy,  then  seek  after  this  unity,  without 
faction,  or  vainglory,  and  in  lowliness  of  mind."  This 
method  of  hypothetical  statement  has  all  the  force  of  posi- 
tive affirmation  having  no  suggestion  of  doubt. 

He  then  advances  to  a  sixth  reason  grander  than  all  the 
others — the  example  of  our  Lord:  "  Let  this  mind  be  in 
you  which  was  also  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Indeed, 
"If  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  he  is  none  of 
His." 


GOD'S  PROVIDENCE  IN  PAUL'S  LIFE     259 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Explain  "set  for  the  defense  of  the  gospel." 

2.  How  did  Paul  know  that  he  would  escape  death  as  a  result  of 
his  first  Roman  imprisonment,  and  what  other  examples  of  this 
knowledge  ? 

3.  What  is  the  meaning  of  "salvation"  (Greek,  Soteria)  in  this 
passage,  and  what  other  example  of  similar  use  of  this  word  ? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  "the  supply  of  the  Spirit"  through  which 
he  would  escape,  and  what  other  instances? 

5.  Why  is  the  Holy  Spirit  called  "the  Spirit  of  Christ?" 

6.  To  what,  instrumentally,  is  this  supply  of  the  Spirit  granted, 
and  what  the  value  of  the  lesson? 

7.  Who  at  this  time  were  Nero's  advisers  and  delegates  in 
examining  prisoners  of  state? 

8.  Were  they  conscious  of  supernatural  intervention  in  their 
acquittal  of  Paul? 

9.  Why  would  not  Paul's  death  at  this  time  frustrate  the  glory 
of  Christ,  why  was  not  the  extension  of  his  life  a  personal  favor  to 
him,  and  why  then  was  he  spared  at  this  time? 

10.  Explain  Paul's  "strait  betwixt  two,"  why  was  the  decision  to 
live  unselfish  on  his  part,  and  what  other  instance  of  his  life  similar 
to  this? 

11.  What  the  one  great  end  of  his  exhortation  in  i  '.27 — 2:4? 

12.  Give  the  rendering  of  the  passage  in  both  common  and  re- 
vised versions,  and  why  is  the  author's  suggestion  a  better  rendering? 

13.  Cite  a  passage  of  similar  meaning  in  Ephesians. 

14.  Relate  the  incident  of  S.  S.  Prentiss  and  of  Cicero,  illustrating. 

15.  In  what  two  incidents  is  Paul  an  illustration? 

16.  How  does  he  suggest  the  carrying  out  of  his  exhortation? 

17.  Show  the  timeliness  of  the  exhortation. 

18.  Show  from  another  letter  Paul's  tribute  to  their  endurance  of 
afflictions,  and  where  do  we  find  his  statement  of  his  own  case 
illustrating  what  he  here  enjoins? 

19.  What  three  encouragements  does  he  give  to  enforce  his  ex- 
hortation ? 

20.  In  what  other  letter  does  he  similarly  use  the  word  "token?" 

21.  How  does  he  clinch  his  exhortation? 

22.  What  a  sixth  and  greater  reason? 


XXV 

THE  DEITY  OF  CHRIST 
Scripture:  Phil.  2:5-11 

ATTENTION  was  called,  at  the  close  of  the  preceding 
chapter,  to  that  highest!  of  all  motives  to  unity, 
humility  and  self-renunciation — the  example  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  His  voluntarily  divesting  himself  of 
the  glory  and  prerogatives  of  His  heavenly  estate,  and  His 
assumption  of  a  human  nature  in  order  to  secure  our  salva- 
tion and  the  highest  glory  of  the  Father.  We  may  here,  if 
anywhere,  pause  to  reflect  on  Paul's  uniform  method  of 
preaching  doctrine,  never  as  a  mere  theory,  but  always  with 
a  practical  end  in  view.  His  exhortations  to  obedience  and 
morality  and  unselfish  love  are  all  based  on  a  solid  founda- 
tion of  doctrine.  The  senseless  modern  cry,  "Let  us  have 
more  humanity,  more  morality  and  less  dogma,"  was  to 
him  as  unthinkable  as  a  house  without  foundation,  or  a 
stream  without  a  source.  On  the  other  hand,  mere  abstract 
dogma,  or  theoretic  theology,  without  reforming  power  on 
the  life,  was  but  as  sounding  brass  or  tinkling  cymbal.  Be- 
tween his  dogmatic  theology  and  a  holy  life  was  an  essential 
and  indissoluble  relation. 

The  doctrines  involved  in  Phil.  2:5-11. — This  is  by  far 
the  greatest  and  most  instructive  passage  in  the  letter,  and 
the  second  most  important  in  the  whole  Bible,  especially 
if  it  be  considered,  as  it  must  be,  with  the  parallel  passages 
— John  1:1-5,  9,  14;  Col.  1:15-20;  Heb.  1:2-13 — because 
it  expresses  the  LOVE  of  the  SON  for  sinful  man,  and 
His  honor  toward  the  Father.  Only  one  other  outranks  it, 
John  3 :  16,  which  expresses  the  FATHER'S  LOVE  toward 

261 


262      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

sinful  man,  and  only  one  other  comes  next  to  it,  Rom.  15  :  30, 
"The  LOVE  of  the  SPIRIT"  expressed  in  the  deeds  of 
John  14-16.  The  three  embody  the  Love  of  the  Trinity, 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit. 

Strangely  enough,  Aryans  and  Socinians  rely  on  this  pas- 
sage to  make  good  their  denial  of  our  Lord's  essential  deity, 
saying,  "He  counted  not  equality  with  God  a  thing  to  be 
grasped,  and  His  exaltation  was  an  achievement  and  not 
inherent,"  and  one  party  of  the  Gnostics  cite  it  in  denial 
of  His  real  humanity,  saying,  "He  had  only  the  form,  or 
likeness,  of  a  man,"  and  the  destructive  critics  quote  it  to 
support  their  undervaluation  of  our  Lord's  testimony  to 
the  integrity  and  inspiration  of  the  Old  Testament,  saying, 
"He  emptied  himself,  and  hence  His  views  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment have  no  more  authority  than  the  views  of  any  other 
pious  Jew  of  His  time." 

There  are  some  real  difficulties  in  the  passage,  but  none 
that  affect  its  incalculable  value  as  revealing  our  Lord's 
essential  deity  and  humanity,  and  His  great  work  of  human 
redemption.  The  refinements  and  subtilities  of  scholarly 
critics  in  handling  this  passage,  and  their  infinitesimal  de- 
tails of  divergence,  constituting  a  vast  and  tedious  litera- 
ture, accentuate  the  proverb:  "The  more  I  know  of  expert 
scholarship  the  more  I  like  common  sense."  And  yet,  (I 
state  it  for  the  reader's  satisfaction,)  the  best  of  them 
and  the  bulk  of  them  of  all  ages,  nations  and  denominations, 
coincide  in  their  conclusion  that  the  passage  does  teach 
what  the  average  mind  gathers  in  a  moment,  the  existence 
of  our  Lord  prior  to  His  incarnation,  His  equality  in  nature 
with  the  Father,  His  real  humanity.  His  great  work  of 
redemption  on  the  cross,  His  consequent  exaltation  to  uni- 
versal sovereignty,  and  His  restoration  to  original  glory. 

It  is  my  purpose  here  to  state  briefly  the  main  points  of 
the  teaching  of  the  passage,  referring  somewhat  to  the  differ- 
ences of  interpretation.    While  I  bear  in  mind  that  this  is 


THE  DEITY  OF  CHRIST  263 

a  study  in  New  Testament  English  and  so  must  not  en- 
croach on  the  domain  of  New  Testament  Greek,  yet,  with- 
out pedantry,  I  must  refer  to  certain  Greek  words  which 
underlie  all  the  various  English  renderings.  So  touching 
this  phase  lightly,  I  name  the  crucial  Greek  words  of  the 
text,  which  are  as  follows : 

1.  Morphe,  translated  "form,"  e.g.,  "existing  in  the 
form  of  God,  taking  the  form  of  a  man,"  verses  6  and  7. 

2.  Huparchon,  rendered  "existing,"  "subsisting,"  or  bet- 
ter still,  "originally  subsisting,"  verse  6. 

3.  Harpagmon,  rendered  "robbery"  in  common  version; 
"prize"  in  the  Canterbury  Revision ;  "a  thing  to  be  grasped" 
in  the  American  Standard  Revision;  "something  to  be  clung 
to,"  in  the  Twentieth  Century,  verse  6. 

4.  Ekenosen,  rendered  "emptied"  himself. 

5.  Homoiomati  rendered  "likeness  of  men,"  verse  7. 

6.  Schemati,  rendered  "fashion  of  men." 

The  Twentieth  Century  translation  thus  renders  the  whole 
passage:  "Let  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  be  yours  also.  Though 
from  the  beginning  He  had  the  divine  nature,  yet  He  did 
not  look  upon  equality  with  God  as  something  to  be  clung 
to,  but  impoverished  himself  by  taking  the  nature  of  a 
servant,  and  becoming  like  other  men.  Then  He  appeared 
among  us  as  a  man,  and  still  further  humbled  himself  by 
submitting  himself  even  to  death,  yes,  death  on  the  cross! 
And  this  is  why  God  raised  Him  to  the  very  highest  place, 
and  gave  Him  the  Name  which  ranks  above  all  others,  so 
that  in  honor  of  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bend, 
in  heaven,  on  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord,  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father." 

Observe  three  merits  of  this  Twentieth  Century  ren- 
dering : 

I.  It  alone  brings  out  the  true  meaning  of  huparchon, 
namely,  "From  the  beginning."    The  word  certainly  means 


264      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

"originally  existing,  or  subsisting,"  like  John's  "In  the  be- 
ginning was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God  and 
the  Word  was  God." 

2.  Its  "impoverished  himself"  instead  of  "emptied  him- 
self" brings  the  passage  in  line  with  a  previous  statement 
of  the  same  general  fact  by  Paul:  "For  ye  know  the  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that,  though  He  was  rich,  yet 
for  your  sakes  He  became  poor,  that  ye  through  His  poverty 
might  become  rich,"  II  Cor.  8 : 9. 

3.  The  rendering  is  in  smooth  running,  every  day  Eng- 
lish. Observe  also  that  the  only  difference  between  the 
common  version  and  the  revised  version  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  American  Standard,  Bible  Union  (edited),  and 
the  Twentieth  Century  on  the  other  hand  in  rendering  the 
noun  harpagmon,  does  not  affect  the  deity  of  our  Lord,  for 
all  teach  that,  but  only  the  time  when  the  "emptying"  com- 
mences, for  if  the  American  Standard  be  right,  then  the 
emptying  commenced  in  the  thought  of  the  Son  when  He 
counted  not  equality  with  God  a  thing  to  be  grasped,  the 
emptying  merely  resulting  from  the  thought. 

The  author  believes  that  the  common  version  more  closely 
follows  the  grammatical  construction,  for  harpagmon  has 
the  active  sense,  while  the  rendering,  "a  thing  to  be  grasped," 
being  passive,  would  call  for  another  form  of  the  noun, 
harpagma. 

In  other  words,  the  American  Standard  derives  its  ren- 
dering, not  from  the  form  of  the  noun,  but  from  what  it 
regards  as  a  contextual  demand.  The  only  other  use  of 
the  word  in  Greek  literature,  sacred  or  profane,  is  its  em- 
ployment by  Plutarch  "On  the  education  of  boys"  where  it 
has  the  active  sense.  Hence  the  earlier  scholars  and  ver- 
sions, and  the  most  conservative  modern  scholars,  sustain 
the  common  version.  But  all  these  renderings  agree  in 
attributing  essential  deity  to  our  Lord,  if  not  by  positive 
affirmation,  at  least  by  the  strongest  implication.    The  idea 


THE  DEITY  OF  CHRIST  £05 

of  the  expression  "form  of  God"  may  be  gathered  from  a 
comparison  with  other  Pauline  expressions,  "The  express 
image  of  His  person,"  "the  effulgence  of  His  glory,"  and 
with  the  Logos  of  John. 

From  the  author's  sermon  before  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention,  1908,  this  passage  is  cited : 

"his  relations  to  the  father 

"These  relations  are  expressed  in  the  words  image,  efful- 
gence, form,  Logos,  Son.  When  out  text  says,  'Who  is 
the  image  of  the  invisible  God,'  and  another  passage  says, 
'The  very  image  of  His  substance,'  it  cannot  mean  less  than 
that  He  is  the  visible  of  the  invisible  God. 

"To  illustrate:  Philip  said,  'Lord,  show  us  the  Father 
and  it  sufficeth  us.'  He  replied,  'When  thou  hast  seen  me 
thou  hast  seen  the  Father.'  And  when  it  is  said,  'Who 
being  the  effulgence  of  God's  glory,'  is  not  that,  at  least, 
the  raying  forth,  the  outshining  of  the  divine  glory  which 
must  be  another  way  of  saying,  'He  is  the  visible  of  the 
invisible  ?' 

"Of  kindred  meaning  is  the  expression,  'Existing  in  the 
form  of  God.'  Form  is  the  apparent,  the  phenomenal.  So 
Logos,  or  the  Word,  is  the  revelation  of  the  Father's  mind, 
heart  and  will,  the  unveiling  of  the  hidden.  Of  like  pur- 
port is  the  declaration:  'In  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness 
of  the  Godhead  bodily! 

"But  we  must  hark  continually  back  to  His  nature — 'the 
Word  was  God,' — lest  by  the  weakness  of  the  terms  image, 
effulgence,  form  and  Logos,  we  account  Him  only  a  mani- 
festation." 

We  may  rest  assured  that  Paul's  teaching  here  concerning 
our  Lord  must  be  construed  in  harmony  with  His  teach- 
ings in  Colossians  and  Ephesians  written  such  a  short  time 
later. 

It  is  needful  to  give  a  word  of  caution  against  interpreting 


266      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

too  much  or  too  little  into  the  Kenosis,  "He  emptied  him- 
self," A.  v.,  "Made  himself  of  no  reputation."  There  is 
no  room  for  dogmatism  in  a  matter  necessarily  so  myste- 
rious, but — 

1.  It  is  certain  that  He  did  not  divest  himself  of  His 
deity,  for  then  He  would  not  be  the  God-man,  nor  could 
it  be  said,  "In  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily." 

2.  We  know  that  He  laid  aside  His  heavenly  glory,  for 
He  prays:  "And  now.  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine 
own  self  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the 
world  was,"  John  17:5. 

3.  We  know  that  He  laid  aside  the  riches  of  that  heav- 
enly estate,  as  Paul  says,  "For  ye  know  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that,  though  He  was  rich,  yet  for  your 
sakes  He  became  poor,  that  ye  through  His  poverty  might 
be  made  rich,"  II  Cor.  8 : 9. 

4.  We  know  that  He  laid  aside  His  equality  with  the 
Father,  completely  subordinating  His  own  will  to  the  will 
of  the  Father:  "Not  my  will  but  thine  be  done,"  "I  came 
to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,"  and  became  a  bond- 
servant. 

5.  We  know  that  He  did  not  resort  to  His  inherent 
omnipotence  to  work  miracles  in  His  own  behalf,  or  to 
avert  disaster  from  himself,  or  to  relieve  himself  from  the 
perplexities  and  burdens  of  a  real  humanity.  Indeed,  all 
His  miracles  were  wrought  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

6.  In  the  same  way  He  relied  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom 
He  received  without  measure  at  His  baptism,  for  His  super- 
human knowledge.  The  inspiration  of  all  the  prophets  was 
less  than  His.  "He  knew  what  was  in  man,"  and  spoke 
by  infallible  authority  of  all  the  Old  Testament  books.  So 
that  the  radical  critics  but  advertise  their  own  folly  and 
infidelity  in  undervaluation  of  His  testimony  concerning 
Old  Testament  books  and  their  meaning.     No  matter  how 


THE  DEITY  OF  CHRIST  267 

far  He  emptied  himself  of  His  own  inherent  omniscience, 
that  in  no  way  affects  the  testimony  of  one  who  received 
the  Spirit  without  measure.  All  the  resources  of  Deity 
were  at  His  command,  through  the  Spirit,  so  far  as  they 
bore  upon  His  mission. 

The  key  passage,  in  interpreting  His  original  status,  and 
the  emptying  himself,  is  the  preceding  verse :  ''Not  looking 
each  of  you  to  his  own  things,  but  each  of  you  also  to  the 
things  of  others.  Have  this  mind  in  you  which  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus."  Christ  did  not  look  to  His  own  things,  i.  e., 
His  equality  with  the  Father,  and  the  riches  and  glory  of 
His  heavenly  state,  but  "emptied  himself,  etc."  Here  again 
we  must  be  cautious  of  putting  too  much  stress  on  the  word, 
"emptied,"  for  it  is  Paul  himself  who  only  a  little  later 
affirms:  "In  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily."  The  "emptying"  is  not  absolute,  but  only  a  tem- 
porary and  voluntary  suspension  of  exercise,  a  holding  in 
abeyance  for  the  time  being.  It  was  doubtless  this  con- 
sideration that  influenced  the  conservative  translators  of  the 
common  version  to  thus  render  the  passage,  "Made  himself 
of  no  reputation." 

His  Humiliation  consisted : 

1.  In  His  incarnation,  i.e.,  taking  "the  form  of  a  bond- 
servant," and  rendering  absolute  obedience  to  the  will  of 
the  Father. 

2.  An  obedience  even  unto  death. 

3.  Yea,  the  death  of  the  cross. 

In  this  obedience  He  not  only  magnified  the  law  in  its 
precepts,  demonstrating  that  it  was  holy,  just  and  good, 
but  also  magnified  its  penal  sanctions,  by  "bearing  in  His 
own  body  the  sin  of  the  world." 

His  Exaltation  consisted: 

I.  In  His  resurrection,  thereby  demonstrating  all  His 
high  claims  asserted  in  His  lifetime,  and  demanding  that 
angels  who  had  worshiped  Him  in  His  original  glory  and 


268      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

in  His  incarnation  should  now  worship  His  glorified  hu- 
manity, Heb.  1 : 6. 

2.  His  ascension  and  reception  into  heaven. 

3.  His  enthronement  there  as  King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords,  and  His  anointing  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above 
His  fellows. 

4.  His  session  there  until  all  His  enemies  are  made  His 
footstool,  Psalms  no:  i,  and  until  He  comes  as  final  judge 
at  the  last  and  great  and  general  judgment. 

5.  At  which  time  every  knee  bends  to  Him,  and  every 
tongue  confesses  that  He  is  Lord. 

Two  things  in  this  exaltation  call  for  further  explanation : 
I.     The  Name  that  is  above  every  name,  what  is  it?    Is 
it  the  name,  Jesus,  or  the  name  of  Jesus,  a  new  name  be- 
stowed on  Jesus  ?    Two  reasons  oppose  the  former,  namely : 

1.  His  name  "J^sus"  was  given  at  His  incarnation,  but 
this  is  a  name  given  at  His  exaltation,  and  expressive  of  it. 

2,  If  the  writer  meant  the  name,  "J^sus,"  then  it  would 
seem  that  this  word  should  have  been  in  the  dative,  but 
"Jesus"  is  in  the  genitive  and  the  expression  is  "in  the 
name  of  Jesus."  The  author  thinks  that  the  name  given 
to  Jesus  is,  as  expressed  in  Rev.  19 :  16,  "King  of  kings 
and  Lord  of  lords,"  which  is  expressive  of  His  exaltation. 

2.  What  is  meant  by  "every  knee"  and  "every  tongue  ?" 
When  does  this  take  place  ?  The  expression  in  its  context, 
calls  for  the  highest  degree  of  universality,  and  can  mean 
no  less  than  every  human  being,  good  and  bad,  and  every 
angel,  good  and  fallen,  without  exception  in  either  case.  It 
means  that  all  of  them  will  recognize  and  confess  Hia 
universal  sovereignty.  All  this  will  occur  at  His  final 
advent  when  He  shall  sit  on  the  white  throne  of  the  general 
judgment  and  shall  fix  the  final  status  of  all  moral  intelli- 
gences. This  is  indeed  an  achievement,  not  by  the  Son  as 
originally  subsisting,  but  by  the  Son  veiled  in  humanity  and 
obedient  unto  death. 


THE  DEITY  OF  CHRIST  ^00 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  Paul's  method  of  presenting  doctrine? 

2.  How  would  he  have  regarded  the  modern  cry,  "Give  us  more 
humanity  and  morality  and  less  dogma,"  and  the  custom  of  some  to 
present  theology  as  an  abstract  system  ? 

3.  What  can  you  say  of  the  rank  of  the  passage,  Phil.  2:5-11,  and 
what  two  others  may  be  classed  with  it,  and  why  ? 

4.  What  three  heresies  are  strangely  drawn  from  this  passage? 

5.  What  the  crucial  Greek  words  of  the  passage,  and  how  ren- 
dered in  American  Standard  Revision? 

6.  What  three  excellencies  in  the  "Twentieth  Century"  render- 


mg 


7.  What  two  examples  of  usage  only  in  Greek  literature  of 
harpagmon,  and  what  its  form  in  both,  active  and  passive,  what  the 
renderings  in  the  English  versions  cited,  which  the  most  gframmatical, 
and  why  do  the  others  adopt  the  passive  form? 

8.  What  the  only  practical  difference  between  these  renderings, 
and  their  effect  on  the  teachings  of  the  passage  as  to  Christ's  original 
deity? 

9.  What  the  idea  of  the  various  terms,  "form,"  "image,"  "efful- 
gence" and  Logos? 

10.  What  caution  given  in  interpreting  "He  emptied  himself?" 

11.  Was  this  emptying  absolute,  and  if  not,  what? 

12.  Cite  six  particulars  as  expressive  of  the  "emptying,"  negative 
and  positive. 

13.  What  the  key  passage  in  interpreting  this  paragraph  ? 

14.  In  what  did  His  humiliation  consist? 

15.  In  what  did  His  exaltation  consist? 

16.  What  the  Name  above  every  name,  and  why? 

17.  What  the  meaning  of  "every  knee"  and  "every  tongue?" 

18.  When  this  "bending  of  every  knee"  and  "confession  of  every 
tongue?" 


XXVI 

PAUL'S  LIBATION  AND  THE  CHRISTIAN'S 
GROWTH  IN  GRACE 

Scripture:  Phil.  2 :  12 — 3 :  14 

SALVATION  in  us,  Phil.  2:12-18.  This  paragraph, 
like  the  foregoing  one,  is  a  part  of  the  exhortation 
commencing:  "Live  your  citizen  life,"  i  '.27.  Take  it 
all  in  all,  it  is  the  highest  model  of  exhortation  in  all  litera- 
ture. An  aged  Baptist  cannot  read  it  without  a  sigh  of 
regret  over  our  pulpit  decadence  in  the  power  of  exhor- 
tation— a  power  like  an  electric  storm  bringing  into  rapid 
play  all  the  elemental  forces  of  land  and  sky,  a  spiritual 
storm  that  hurled  doctrines  as  thunderbolts  on  the  head 
while  seismic  upheavals  shook  the  foundations  under  the 
feet.  When  we  recall  the  rugged  and  doctrinal  forcefulness 
of  our  less  cultivated  fathers,  our  own  tame,  mild  and  polite 
exhortations  are  as  the  cooing  of  a  fledgling  dove  compared 
with  the  roaring  of  a  Numidian  lion.  Alas!  The  exhorter 
has  left  us!  This  mighty  special  gift  of  the  Spirit  (Rom. 
12 : 8)  is  no  more  coveted  and  honored  among  us. 

It  would  pay  us  to  swap  off  a  lot  of  our  weak  preachers 
for  a  few  old-time  exhorting  deacons.  Teaching  appeals 
to  the  head ;  exhortation  to  the  heart.  Teaching  instructs ; 
exhortation  applies.  Teaching  illumines;  exhortation 
awakens  and  stirs;  it  rings  alarm  bells,  kindles  beacon- 
flames  on  the  mountains,  fires  signal  guns,  blows  trumpets, 
unfurls  war-flags  and  beats  the  bass  drum.  But  exhorta- 
tion is  only  harmless  thunder  without  the  lightning  bolt  of 
doctrine.     We  must  not  mistake  "hollerin"'  for  exhorta- 

271 


27a      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

tion,  nor  perspiration  for  inspiration.  O  that  this  genera- 
tion could  have  heard  J.  W.  D.  Creath,  Micajah  Cole, 
Deacon  Pruitt  and  Judge  A.  S.  Broadus  exhort  in  great 
revival  meetings,  while  strong  men  wept,  enemies  became 
reconciled,  and  love  illumined  and  beautified  rugged,  homely 
faces!  Then  as  Christian  fire  attained  a  white  heat,  the 
lost  soul,  pierced  through  and  through  by  fiery  arrows  of 
conviction,  cried  out :  "God  be  merciful  to  me  the  sinner," 
or,  "Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?" 

"And  Heaven  came  down  our  souls  to  greet, 
And  glory  crowned  the  Mercy  Seat." 

It  must  be  understood  that  this  exhortation  from  first  to 
last  is  addressed  to  Christians — to  citizens  of  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem.  It  is  not  an  exhortation  to  sinners  to  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come — not  an  appeal  to  the  lost  to  accept  by 
simple  faith,  without  works,  the  salvation  done  for  us  in 
expiation  and  justification,  but  to  Christians  to  work  out 
the  salvation  of  sanctification,  God's  prevenient  grace  work- 
ing in  us,  both  to  will  and  to  work,  for  His  good  pleasure. 

This  letter,  more  than  any  other,  sharply  distinguishes 
between  the  external  and  internal  salvation.  The  external 
salvation  is  complete  expiation  of  sin  by  the  Son  alone, 
eternal  and  irreversible  justification  by  the  Father  alone, 
and  the  internal  salvation  is  regeneration,  sanctification  and 
glorification  by  the  Holy  Spirit  alone.  The  Spirit  gives  life 
to  the  soul  in  regeneration;  that  life  is  developed  and  per- 
fected in  sanctification.  Our  working  out  salvation  is  in 
co-operating  with  the  Spirit  in  developing  and  perfecting 
the  life  commenced  in  regeneration.  As  a  means  or  merit 
towards  justification  our  works  are  an  offence  toward  God 
and  a  blasphemous  attempt  to  usurp  the  office  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  See  Rom.  2 :  27, 28.  Furthermore,  as  a  means 
or  merit  toward  regeneration,  works  on  our  part  are  an 
offence  toward  God,  as  Paul  testifies  later,  Eph.  2:4-10, 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  GROWTH  IN  GRACE  273 

and  Titus  3:4,  5.  Regeneration  is  a  creation  unto  good 
works.  The  salvation  that  we  are  exhorted  to  work  out 
is  sanctification,  and  even  in  sanctification  the  prevenient 
grace  of  God  works  in  us,  both  to  will  the  work  and  to  do  it. 
All  the  exhortations  in  this  letter  are  towards  sanctification, 
a  cultivating  and  developing  of  the  Christian  life. 

There  are  several  special  points  in  the  exhortation, 
2: 12-18: 

1.  "Don't  depend  on  Paul — he  is  absent — ^you,  your- 
selves, work  out  your  own  salvation.  It  is  your  salvation, 
not  his." 

2.  "Depend  on  God — He  is  always  present  to  enable  you 
both  to  will  and  to  perform." 

3.  The  manner  of  the  obedience  is  "without  murmur- 
ings  and  questionings,"  an  evident  allusion  to  Israel's  mis- 
conduct in  the  wilderness,  more  elaborately  treated  in  I 
Cor.  10. 

4.  The  end  of  the  working  out:  (a)  As  to  themselves 
was  blameless — harmless — without  blemish.  See  Eph.  5 :  27 
and  I  Thess.  5  :  23.  {h)  As  to  the  world  was  that  they  might 
be  seen  as  lights,  holding  forth  the  Word  of  Life,  (c)  As 
to  Paul  was  that  he  might  have  whereof  to  glory  in  the 
day  of  Christ,  proving  that  he  had  not  run  in  vain  nor 
labored  in  vain,  (d)  As  to  both  Paul  and  themselves,  in 
case  he  suffered  martyrdom  at  that  time  was  that  he  would 
be  a  libation  poured  out  on  the  sacrifice  and  service  of  their 
faith,  to  their  mutual  joy. 

On  this  reference  to  the  drink  offering,  which  was  the 
liquid  part,  i.  e.,  the  wine,  of  the  meal  offering,  observe : 

1.  It  was  not  itself  a  bloody  or  an  atoning  sacrifice,  but 
an  act  of  worship  following  propitiation,  expressive  of  de- 
pendence on  the  divine  favor  for  all  the  blessings  of  tem- 
poral prosperity  and  of  appreciation  thereof. 

2.  A  part  of  the  offering  was  burned  with  incense,  the 
incense  representing  their  prayers  to  or  worship  of  God, 


274      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  burning  representing  God's  acceptance  of  their  sacrifice, 
but  the  wine  was  poured  on  or  around  the  altar  (See  first 
recorded  instance  of  the  drink  offering  poured  on  the  altar, 
Gen.  35:14). 

3.  The  Philippian  contribution  to  God,  in  the  person  of 
His  apostle,  is  the  New  Testament  fulfillment  of  the  old 
typical  meal-offering — a  spiritual  sacrifice  of  the  new  re- 
gime. See  the  thought  elaborated  at  the  close  of  the  letter: 
"I  am  filled,  having  received  from  Epaphroditus  the  things 
that  came  from  you,  an  odor  of  a  sweet  smell,  a  sacrifice 
acceptable,  well-pleasing  to  God,"  4:18,19,  and  a  similar 
reference  in  II  Cor.  9: 10-15. 

All  this  leads  to  the  explanation  of  the  apostle's  meaning 
when  he  says,  "Yea,  and  if  I  am  poured  out  upon  the  sac- 
rifice and  service  of  your  faith,"  which  means  that  in  case 
of  his  martyrdom  at  that  time  his  blood  would  represent 
the  outpoured  wine,  or  drink-oflfering,  completing  their 
spiritual  meal-offering.  The  sacrifice  would  then  be  a  joint 
one,  their  part  representing  the  meal,  oil  and  incense,  and 
his  part  the  libation  of  wine ;  hence  the  consequent  mutual 
joy. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  this  explanation  to  save 
you  from  adopting  two  errors  of  many  commentators,  towit : 

1.  That  Paul  follows  the  idea  of  the  heathen  sacrifice 
rather  than  the  idea  of  the  ritual  of  Old  Testament  law. 

2.  That  the  thought  of  the  passage  is  that  Paul  is  acting 
as  the  priest  in  presenting  the  Philippian  sacrifice,  and  while 
so  acting  is  slain,  pouring  out  his  blood  on  their  sacrifices, 
as  Pilate  mingled  the  blood  of  the  Galileans  with  their 
sacrifices.  Both  of  these  are  grave  errors  and  utterly  un- 
tenable. The  New  Testament  spiritual  sacrifices  never  ful- 
fill heathen  types,  and  particularly  in  the  New  Testament 
economy  the  kingdom  officers  are  never  the  priests  of  the 
people.  Every  citizen  of  Christ's  kingdom  is  a  priest  unto 
God,  and  without  a  human   "go-between"   directly  offers 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  GROWTH  IN  GRACE  275 

to  God  his  own  spiritual  sacrifices  through  Jesus  Christ 
himself,  the  only  mediator  between  God  and  man. 

It  is  one  of  the  deadliest  errors  of  the  Papacy  that  Chris- 
tians require  a  human  priest  to  mediate  their  offerings. 
Neither  apostle,  pastor,  evangelist  or  any  of  the  saints,  or 
the  Virgin  Mary,  exercise  such  functions.  It  is  blasphemy 
against  Christ  and  subversive  of  the  priesthood  of  each 
individual  saint.  The  New  Testament  knocks  out  the 
middle-man.  We  want  not  the  shadow  of  a  human  priest 
to  fall  on  our  cradle,  our  absolution,  our  Bible,  our  mar- 
riages, our  Christian  offerings,  our  observance  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  our  death,  the  sepulture  of  our  bones,  our  disem- 
bodied souls. 

There  can  be  no  more  beautiful  thought  than  Paul's  con- 
ception ;  his  pouring  out  the  wine  of  life  was  his  libation. 
What  he  speaks  of  here  as  only  a  possibility,  he  later,  at 
the  end  of  his  second  imprisonment,  speaks  of  as  a  cer- 
tainty, yea,  already  taking  place :  "I  am  already  being  poured 
out,  and  the  time  of  my  exodus  is  come,"  II  Tim.  4 : 6.  Ah ! 
what  a  libation ! 

Here  we  recall  the  words  of  Tom  Moore  in  "Paradise 
and  Peri :" 

"Oh !  if  there  be  one  boon,  one  offering, 
That  Heaven  holds  dear, 
'Tis  the  last  libation  that  Liberty  draws 
From  the  heart  that  bleeds  and  breaks  in  her  cause." 

But  the  drop  of  patriot  blood  did  not  open  the  gates  of 
Paradise  to  the  exiled  Peri.  The  libation  of  Christian 
martyrdom  far  outranks  the  libation  of  a  dying  patriot, 
but  Paradise  must  already  be  opened  by  holier  and  atoning 
blood  before  either  can  be  acceptable  to  God  as  a  Christian 
sacrifice. 

Epaphroditus — Timothy — Paul.  "1  have  sent  Epaphro- 
ditus,"  "I  send  Timothy  forthwith,"  "I  trust  in  the  Lord 
that  I,  myself,  shall  come  shortly."    How  deep  his  concern 


276      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

for  these  Philippians,  and  how  tenderly  sympathetic  his 
heart  toward  them  in  all  their  anxieties,  their  sufferings  and 
spiritual  needs!  How  appreciative  of  the  merits  of  his 
co-laborers,  and  how  complete  his  testimony  to  their  fidelity  ! 
No  wonder  the  brightest  and  most  gifted  young  preachers 
delighted  to  serve  under  his  leadership. 

We  may  count  it  a  settled  thing  that  no  man  can  be  a 
great  leader  of  men  who  has  no  power  to  draw  a  following. 
And  no  man  can  long  hold  the  following  he  draws  whose 
selfishness  does  not  allow  him  to  recognize  and  appreciate 
the  merits  of  his  followers.  He  must  testify  to  the  value 
of  their  service,  not  in  the  insincere  compliments  of  a  poli- 
tician, but  in  the  spontaneous  expressions  of  truth  and  love. 
It  is  Paul's  testimony  that  paints  in  fadeless  word-colors 
the  portraits  of  Timothy  and  Epaphroditus,  and  confers 
immortality  on  them  by  hanging  their  portraits  in  the  gal- 
lery of  Christian  heroes,  ever  seen  as  if  living,  and  held  in 
everlasting  remembrance.  So  as  stars  in  the  constellation 
of  Paul,  they  shine  forever. 

The  third  chapter  of  Philippians,  rightly  commencing 
with  verse  2,  is  every  way  remarkable.  Its  solemn,  urgent 
caution  is  not  called  out  by  any  condition  already  existing  at 
Philippi,  but  an  anticipated  condition.  There  were  few 
Jews  at  Philippi  and  few  Jewish  Christians.  The  apostle 
knew  well,  however,  the  persistence,  both  of  Jewish  hostility 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  and  also  the  persistence  of 
that  element  of  Jewish  converts  that  with  tireless  propagan- 
dism  sought  to  make  Christianity  a  mere  sect  of  Judaism. 
He  writes  as  if  some  disturbing  incident  at  Rome  or  new 
message  brought  from  abroad  had  interrupted  his  letter, 
indicating  an  imminent  danger  to  the  faith  of  the  Philip- 
pians, and  hence  the  abruptness  of  his  change  of  topic : 
"Beware  of  the  dogs,  beware  of  the  evil  workers,  beware 
of  the  concision." 

It  is  quite  probable  that  the  fires  were  already  kindled 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  GROWTH  IN  GRACE  277 

under  the  Jewish  pot — a.d.  62 — ^that  would  make  it  boil 
over  in  revolution  against  Roman  authority,  and  precipitate 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  in  a.d,  70.  As  these  fires 
grew  hotter  it  would  be  necessary  later  to  write  the  letter 
to  the  Hebrew  Christians  of  Asia  that  would  make  a  com- 
plete and  final  break  between  Judaism  and  Christianity,  and 
that  would  turn  all  Jewish  Asia  against  Paul  as  he  so  sadly 
notes  in  his  last  letter,  H  Tim.  i :  15. 

In  a  time  of  intense  fanatical  patriotism  the  Letter  to  the 
Hebrews,  so  clearly  showing  the  abrogation  of  the  Jewish 
polity  and  the  complete  supersession  of  the  Old  Covenant, 
would  incense  all  Jews  against  the  writer.  Midway  be- 
tween this  third  chapter  to  the  Philippians  and  the  Letter 
to  the  Hebrews  would  appear  Col.  2 : 8-23,  showing  progress 
toward  the  final  break.  Paul's  prescience  discerned  the 
signs  of  the  times,  and  the  desperate  intolerance  that  would 
be  awakened  in  the  misled  patriot  party  of  Jews.  On  this 
account  we  have  Paul's  admonition. 

There  is  here,  as  elsewhere,  a  play  on  the  words,  "dogs," 
"workers"  and  "concision."  The  Pharisees  counted  Gen- 
tiles as  dogs  and  stressed  ritualistic  observance  and  external 
works  and  fleshly  circumcision  as  a  means  to  salvation,  in- 
deed counted  themselves  as  free,  never  in  bondage,  because 
of  lineal  descent  from  Abraham  and  of  the  circumcision. 
Paul  retorts:  "They  are  the  real  dogs;  their  works  are 
evil  and  unavailing;  their  circumcision  is  a  mere  mutila- 
tion of  the  flesh."  Regeneration  is  the  spiritual  circum- 
cision and  the  source  of  good  works.  The  issue  was  vital 
and  fundamental,  as  announced  by  our  Lord  to  Nicodemus, 
viz.: 

THE  FLESH  VS.  THE  SPIRIT 

Paul  illustrates  by  his  own  example.  He  was  of  the  stock 
of  Israel,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  circumcised  the  eighth 
day  (therefore  not  a  proselyte),  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews, 


278      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  touching  the  law  blameless, 
zealous  to  persecution,  so  if  any  man  might  have  confidence 
in  the  flesh,  he  more.  But  all  these  things  he  counted  as 
refuse  in  comparison  with  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  Jesus,  through  whom  comes  the  true  righteousness 
grasped  by  simple  faith.  So  far  the  passage  is  in  line  with 
Galatians  and  Romans  on  justification  by  faith,  apart  from 
natural  birth  and  works  of  the  law.  He  then  passes  on 
like  Romans  8  to  sanctification,  and  like  I  Cor.  15  to  glori- 
fication. 

Commencing  with  "That  I  may  gain  [or  win]  Christ" — 
last  clause  of  3 : 8  to  the  end  of  3 :  14 — is  the  remarkable 
part  of  the  chapter  which  calls  for  special  explanation. 
Adopting  the  logical  rather  than  the  consecutive  order  of 
the  words  we  notice  first : 

THE   HIGH   CALLING,  OR  VOCATION 

Paul's  calling  (Acts  9:3-6;  22:6-10;  26:12-19)  was 
special  and  eflfectual.  It  was  a  high  calling,  not  only  as 
coming  from  on  high,  but  because  it  was  toward  high  things 
of  both  duty  and  glory.  It  was  a  calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus.  Like  a  foot-race,  it  had  a  goal  where  the  judge 
awarded  a  prize.  The  race  is  not  run  until  the  goal  is 
reached,  nor  won  until  the  prize  is  awarded. 

What,  then,  is  the  goal?  It  is  the  state  of  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead,  and  includes  both  complete  sanctifica- 
tion of  the  spirit  and  glorification  of  the  body.  Paul  had 
not  yet  attained  either  one.  What  is  the  prize?  It  is  that 
which  is  to  be  won :  "That  I  may  win,  or  gain,  Christ,  and 
he  found  in  Him  at  the  great  judgment  day."  Here  the 
"winning  of  Christ,"  or  the  prize,  is  not  merely  justification 
by  faith,  when  one  first  believes,  but  getting  to  Him  where 
He  now  is,  and  being  completely  like  Him  in  both  soul 
and  body.  It  is  that  state  in  which  the  final  judgment  finds 
us.  "Attaining  unto  the  resurrection  from  the  dead"  means 
attaining  to  the  state  of  the  resurrection  from  the  dead, 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  GROWTH  IN  GRACE  279 

and  not  merely  the  act  of  being  raised.  It  is  quite  important 
that  we  know  when  the  salvation  of  the  soul  is  complete, 
and  when  sanctification  of  the  soul  is  perfected.  It  is  only 
the  other  side  of  death  that  the  "spirits  of  the  just  made 
perfect"  are  seen.    (Hebrews  12:22-24.) 

As  long  as  life  has  a  lesson  to  be  learned,  or  a  discipline 
to  be  endured,  the  race  of  the  soul  is  not  run,  nor  the  goal 
reached.  By  one  fact  we  positively  know  when  the  soul- 
discipline  is  ended.  It  is  precisely  at  that  time  when  it  is 
passing  over  the  line  where  accountability  to  judgment 
ceases.  And  the  final  judgment  takes  cognizance  of  the 
deeds  done  in  the  body. 

No  soul,  good  or  bad,  is  judged  on  account  of  what  it 
does  after  the  death  of  the  body,  but  it  is  judged  for  all 
deeds  up  to  that  event. 

Therefore  the  goal  for  the  soul  is  the  death  of  the  body, 
and  the  goal  for  the  body  is  its  resurrection.  If  it  be  raised 
in  dishonor,  the  prize  is  lost.  If  it  be  raised  in  honor, 
glorified  like  the  body  of  our  Lord,  the  prize  is  won. 

You  can  thus  understand  Paul's  words :  "Not  that  I  have 
already  obtained,  or  am  already  made  perfect."  He  had 
"not  yet  laid  hold  on  all  the  things  for  which  Christ  laid  hold 
of  him."  When  Christ  apprehended  Saul  of  Tarsus  on  the 
way  to  Damascus,  He  laid  hold  of  him  for  more  things  than 
Paul  had  yet  laid  hold  of.  Paul  wanted  more  than  had  yet 
been  realized.  He  was  indeed  already  justified  and  regen- 
erated, and  had  already  made  much  progress,  but  much  was 
yet  ahead.  The  race  was  not  yet  run  over  the  whole  course ; 
the  goal  and  the  prize  were  yet  to  be  reached  and  won. 
Later,  indeed,  when  actually  facing  martyrdom  he  wrote: 
"I  am  already  being  poured  out,  and  the  time  of  my  exodus 
is  come.  I  have  fought  the  good  fight,  I  have  finished  the 
course,  I  have  kept  the  faith :  henceforth  [not  sooner]  there 
is  laid  up  for  me  the  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  to  me  at  that  day ;  and 


£80     GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

not  to  me  only  [to  show  that  the  goal  is  the  same  with  all 
the  runners]  but  to  all  them  that  have  loved  His  appearing," 
II  Tim.  4 :6-8. 

This  is  in  line  with  what  he  wrote  to  the  Thessalonians : 
"And  the  Lord  of  peace  himself  shall  sanctify  you  wholly 
[not  in  part] ;  and  may  your  spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  pre- 
served entire,  without  blame,  at  the  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  I  Thess.  5 :  23, 

Those  who  claim  to  be  sinless  now,  to  have  already 
attained  perfection  of  spirit,  only  advertise  their  guilty  dis- 
tance from  God  and  put  themselves  into  an  attitude  of  direct 
conflict  with  the  scriptures. 

See  I  Kings  8 :  36 ;  I  John  i :  8.  Making  such  a  claim  in 
this  life  shows  that  the  one  making  it  is  in  a  dim  light.  Light 
makes  manifest.  Job,  apart  from  God  and  confronted  by 
man  only,  maintained  his  integrity,  but  when  Jehovah  came 
in  the  whirlwind  Job  said, 

"Who  is  this  that  hideth  counsel  without  knowledge? 

Therefore  have  I  uttered  that  which  I  understood  not. 

Things  too  wonderful  for  me,  which  I  knew  not. 

Hear,  I  beseech  thee,  and  I  will  speak; 

I  will  demand  of  thee,  and  declare  thou  unto  me. 

I  had  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear; 

But  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee : 

Wherefore  I  abhor  myself, 

And  repent  in  dust  and  ashes,"  Job  42 : 3-6. 

Isaiah  was  the  saintliest  man  of  his  generation,  but  in  the 
year  that  King  Uzziah  died  he  saw  the  Lord  of  hosts  in  the 
supernal  light  of  heaven,  and  heard  the  Cherubim  crying, 
"Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  is  Jehovah  of  hosts,"  then  he  said, 
"Woe  is  me!  for  I  am  undone;  because  I  am  a  man  of 
unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean 
lips :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King,  Jehovah  of  hosts." 

If,  then,  Paul  had  not  yet  attained  and  counted  not  him- 
self already  perfect  what  does  he  do?  (i)  Forgetting  the 
things  behind,  (2)  stretching  out  to  the  things  before,  (3) 
he  presses  on  toward  the  goal. 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  GROWTH  IN  GRACE  281 

The  meaning  of  these  words  needs  to  be  brought  out  in  a 
realistic  way.  We  forget  a  defeat  in  the  past  when  we  do 
not  stay  whipped  in  mind,  but  courageously  try  another 
battle,  Hke  Robert  Bruce,  who  failed  twelve  times  and  then 
won  the  thirteenth  time,  at  Bannockburn.  We  forget  past 
victories  when  we  do  not  rest  on  our  laurels  but  "count 
nothing  done  while  anything  remains  to  be  done."  General 
Gates  rested  on  the  laurels  of  Saratoga  and  found  defeat  at 
Camden.  He  fled  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle,  ran  eighty 
miles  to  Charlottesville,  and  if  he  had  not  died  he  would  be 
running  yet. 

Dr.  Burleson  used  to  tell  of  a  man  who  related  such  a 
brilliant  experience  to  the  church  when  he  joined  it  that  it 
evoked  unusual  praise  from  pastor  and  church.  So  much 
was  said  about  it  that  he,  himself,  began  to  glory  in  it.  He 
carefully  wrote  it  out  and  would  read  it  to  every  visitor.  He 
became  so  complacent  over  it  that  he  stopped  right  there — 
no  progress — a  case  of  arrested  development.  In  the  lapse 
of  time  the  mice  got  into  the  drawer  where  he  kept  his 
precious  document  and  ate  up  his  Christian  experience ! 
We  need  an  experience  that  rats  cannot  eat  up — an  expe- 
rience not  folded  up  and  put  in  a  drawer,  but  one  that  moves 
forward  taking  "the  steps  of  the  faith  of  Abraham." 

QUESTIONS 

1.  State  the  terminal  points  of  this  great  exhortation,  and  its 
rank. 

2.  Show  that  exhortation  is  a  distinct  gift  of  the  Spirit,  and  dis- 
tinguish between  exhortation  and  teaching. 

3.  Cite  the  names  of  some  early  Texas  Baptist  preachers  or  dea- 
cons who  were  great  in  exhortation,  and  the  effect  on  both  Christians 
and  sinners. 

4.  What  mistakes  may  be  made  as  to  exhortation,  and  what  is 
the  real  lightning  of  exhortation? 

5.  To  what  class,  saints  or  sinners,  is  this  whole  exhortation 
addressed,  and  to  what  particular  duty  does  all  the  exhortation  in 
this  letter  point? 

6.  Cite  three  special  points  in  the  exhortation,  and  the  four 
ends  in  view, 


282      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

7.  Between   what  phases   of   salvation   does   this   letter   clearly 
distinguish? 

8.  What  three  important  observations  on  Paul's  allusion  to  the 
drink  oflFering  in  his  possible  libation? 

9.  What  the  exact  meaning  of  his  being  "poured  out"  on  the 
sacrifice  of  their  faith  and  service? 

ID.  What  two  grave  errors  of  interpretation  by  some  commenta- 
tors on  this  passage,  and  what  the  fearful  consequences  of  the 
second  ? 

ir.  Show  that  what  is  here  spoken  of  as  a  possible  libation  is 
later  spoken  of  as  a  certainty. 

12.  Cite  the  illustrative  passage  in  Tom  Moore's  "Paradise  and 
the  Peri,"  and  what  is  a  greater  libation  and  why  either  cannot  open 
the  gates  of  Paradise,  giving  two  proofs  from  the  revised  text  of 
Revelation,  which  tells  of  Paradise  regained? 

13.  In  the  references  to  Timothy  and  Epaphroditus,  what  great 
excellencies  of  heart  does  Paul  exhibit,  and  how  do  these  im- 
mortalize both  of  them? 

14.  Where  should  the  third  chapter  commence,  and  what  prob- 
ably calls  forth  this  abrupt  change  in  the  direction  of  the  exhorta- 
tion, and  how  probably  this  also  called  forth  Col.  2 : 8-23  and  still 
later  the  Letter  to  the  Hebrews? 

15.  How  may  this  Letter  to  the  Hebrews  have  occasioned  the 
"turning  away  of  all  Asia"  from  Paul,  referred  to  in  H  Tim.  i :  15? 

16.  Show  the  play  on  words  in  "Beware  of  the  dogs,  beware  of 
the  evil  workers,  beware  of  the  concision." 

17.  What  the  antitype  of  circumcision,  what  the  real  issue  here 
involved,  and  what  its  importance? 

18.  How  does  Paul  illustrate  the  case? 

19.  Where  in  his  ilustrative  example  does  the  reference  to  jus- 
tification by  faith  end,  and  where  commences  and  ends  the  reference 
to  sanctification  of  soul  and  glorification  of  body? 

20.  Explain  the  "high  calling." 

21.  What  athletic  game  is  used  to  illustrate? 

22.  What  the  "goal"  for  the  spirit,  and  how  do  you  prove  it? 

23.  What  the  "goal"  of  the  body? 

24.  Show  that  this  does  not  make  death  a  purifier. 

25.  If  one  makes  claim  of  perfection  of  spirit  now,  what  two 
things  does  it  prove,  and  illustrate  by  two  Old  Testament  examples? 

26.  Not  having  yet  obtained,  show  what  three  things  Paul  does, 
and  explain  and  illustrate  the  terms. 

27.  Relate  Dr.  Burleson's  illustration. 


XXVII 

THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  AND  PAUL'S  RECIPE 
FOR  HAPPINESS 

Scripture:  Phil.  3:15 — 4:23 

THIS  chapter  closes  the  exposition  of  the  letter  to  the 
Philippians,  Commencing  at  3:15  we  make  a  run- 
ning comment  on  the  rest  of  the  letter. 

"Let  us  therefore,  as  many  as  are  perfect."  It  is  some- 
what surprising  that  just  before  this  Paul  said  that  he 
counted  not  himself  to  be  perfect,  but  that  is  in  the  passive 
voice,  to  be  perfected.  Now  we  have  an  active  form  of  the 
same  word,  only  it  is  an  adjective  instead  of  a  verb,  and  the 
question  arises.  Is  there  a  contradiction?  The  answer  is, 
no.  The  adjective,  "perfect,"  is  frequently  used  in  the  New 
Testament  in  the  sense  of  full-grown,  mature,  as  a  mature 
Christian  and  not  a  novice,  not  a  babe  in  Christ,  as  in  the 
Letter  to  the  Hebrews,  where  he  says  that  "when  for  the 
time  ye  ought  to  be  teachers  ye  have  need  that  one  teach 
you  again  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of  God,"  and 
then  says,  "Let  us  go  on  to  perfection,"  that  is,  to  maturity. 

To  continue :  "And  if  in  anything  ye  are  otherwise  minded, 
God  shall  reveal  even  this  unto  you."  What  kind  of  a  reve- 
lation is  this?  Does  it  mean  that  God  will  indefinitely  keep 
up  His  external  revelation,  so  that  there  will  be  continual 
additions  to  the  Bible?  It  does  not  mean  that.  It  is  an 
internal  revelation  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  other  words, 
where  a  matter  is  not  clear  to  a  man,  if  he  be  of  the  right 

S83 


284      GALATIANS,  ROIMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

mind  and  seeks  the  Spirit's  guidance,  then  God  will  reveal 
the  matter  to  him  by  inward  monition. 

Verse  17:  "Brethren,  be  ye  imitators  together  of  me, 
and  mark  them  that  so  walk  even  as  ye  have  us  for  an 
ensample.  For  many  walk,  of  whom  I  told  you  often,  and 
now  tell  you  even  weeping,  that  they  are  the  enemies  of  the 
cross  of  Christ:  whose  end  is  perdition,  whose  God  is  the 
belly,  and  whose  glory  is  in  their  shame,  who  mind  earthly 
things." 

This  passage  puts  before  us  two  examples,  one  they  are 
exhorted  to  follow,  and  the  other  they  are  exhorted  to  shun. 
The  first  is  the  example  of  Paul  himself  just  cited  and 
expounded  in  the  preceding  chapter.  Every  preacher  should 
be  an  example  to  the  flock,  as  Peter  says :  "Not  lords  over 
God's  heritage,  but  examples  to  the  flock."  Now  Paul 
wishes  to  be  imitated  just  as  far  as  he  follows  Christ,  as  he 
explains  it  in  another  passage,  "Follow  me  as  I  follow 
Christ."  The  other,  the  evil  example,  and  before  I  expound 
it  I  raise  this  question :  To  what  kind  of  people  is  he  refer- 
ring that  give  this  evil  example?  Then  I  raise  this  ques- 
tion :  Is  he  referring  to  the  Judaizing  element  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  as  he  has  been  doing  in  chapter  3?  He  is 
referring  to  Antinomians,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles.  That 
is  a  big  word  and  is  applied  in  theology  to  that  class  of 
people  who  emphasize  salvation  through  justification  so  as 
to  deny  the  necessity  of  Christian  people  living  right,  that 
is,  opposed  to  the  law.  I  do  not  know  any  worse  enemies 
to  the  cross  of  Christ  than  the  Antinomians,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  we  have  had  some  of  them  in  Texas. 
They  are  not  necessarily  Jews,  but  people  who,  as  Luther 
did  in  some  things,  so  stress  justification  by  faith,  election, 
calling  and  predestination  that  they  take  no  account  of  the 
kind  of  life  that  a  Christian  ought  to  live.  I  am  ashamed 
to  say  that  I  knew  a  Baptist  preacher  in  Texas  who,  after 
offering  an  infamous  proposition  to  a  fellow  Christian — too 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  285 

shameful  for  me  to  specify — said,  "What  harm  will  it  do? 
You  and  I  are  both  Christians,  and  nothing  that  a  Christian 
does  is  charged  against  him." 

Paul  says,  "I  tell  you,  even  weeping,  that  these  people 
are  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ.  Their  god  is  their  appe- 
tite— their  lust ;  their  god  is  the  gratification  of  their  animal 
desires,  and  they  glory  in  their  shame."  To  me  the  most 
horrible  thing  in  the  world  is  for  a  man  to  profess  belief 
in  the  high  doctrines  of  grace  and  then  live  an  evil  life. 
God  calls  men  to  good  works ;  God  regenerates  men,  creates 
them  unto  good  works,  and  whom  He  calls  He  not  only 
justifies  but  sanctifies,  and  I  am  sure  that  the  unsanctified 
man  will  never  enter  heaven. 

I  quote  a  part  of  that  verse  again :  "I  now  tell  you,  even 
weeping."  Such  a  thing  excited  the  deepest  concern  in 
Paul's  heart,  and  I  recall  attention  to  this  verse  in  order 
to  cite  in  this  connection  Monod's  lectures,  or  sermons  on 
Paul,  and  particularly  the  one  on  the  "Tears  of  Paul." 
What  things  excited  this  man's  tears?  There  are  many 
cases  of  Paul's  weeping,  and  in  each  case  there  was  a 
specific  cause  for  his  tears. 

Let  us  look  at  Jesus  on  Olivet  weeping  over  Jerusalem. 
There  is  no  such  lamentation  in  all  history :  "O  Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them 
which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  brood 
under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not!  Behold,  your  house 
is  left  unto  you  desolate!"  On  this  passage  is  based  the 
hymn — 

"Did  Christ  o'er  sinners  weep? 
And  shall  our  cheeks  be  dry? 
Let  floods  of  penitential  grief, 
Burst  forth  from  every  eye." 

The  Psalm  says,  "He  that  goeth  forth  weeping,  bearing 
precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing. 


286      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  Tears  are  an  indication  of 
earnestness  and  sympathy.  Macaulay,  in  that  famous  poem 
of  his,  "The  Battle  of  Ivry,"  represents  Henry  of  Navarre 
this  way : 

"He  looked  upon  the  foemen  and  his  glance  was  stern  and  high ; 
He  looked  upon  his  comrades  and  a  tear  was  in  his  eye." 

Verse  20:  "For  our  citizenship  is  in  heaven."  The  citi- 
zens of  a  city  were  enrolled.  Rome  enrolled  her  citizens, 
and  the  Philippians  were  all  on  that  roll  as  being  a  Roman 
colony,  but  our  citizenship  is  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  from  whence  also  we  look  for  the 
Savior,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Where  is  Jesus  now?  He 
is  in  heaven,  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  How  long 
will  He  remain  there?  Until  His  enemies  be  made  His 
footstool.  Why  will  He  come  back  to  this  earth  ?  To  raise 
the  dead,  the  just  and  the  unjust,  and  to  judge  the  world 
in  righteousness.  Our  citizenship  is  in  heaven.  From 
whence,  i.  e.,  from  heaven ;  Peter  says,  "Whom  the  heavens 
must  retain  until  the  time  of  the  restoration  of  all  things," 
and  our  text  adds,  "Who  shall  change  our  vile  bodies  that 
they  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  His  glorious  body  accord- 
ing to  the  working  whereby  He  is  able  to  subdue  all  things 
unto  himself."  That  subject  is  abundantly  discussed  in 
I  Cor.  15,  and  it  embodies  a  cardinal  doctrine,  vital  and 
fundamental.  A  man  who  does  not  believe  in  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead  and  the  glorification  of  the  bodies  of  the 
saints,  has  no  right  to  claim  to  be  a  Christian. 

Keble  in  his  "Christian  Year"  uses  this  language : 

"Before  the  judgment  seat, 

Though  changed  and  glorified  each  face, 
Not  unremembered  we  shall  meet, 
For  endless  ages  to  embrace." 

Chapter  4:  "Therefore,  my  brethren  beloved  and  longed 
for,  my  joy  and  crown."     More  than  once  I  have  called 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  287 

attention  to  Paul's  joy  and  crown.  He  says  about  the  same 
thing  in  the  letter  to  the  Thessalonians — "Ye  are  my  crown 
of  rejoicing."  The  Psalmist  says,  "He  shall  come  again 
with  rejoicing,  bringing  His  sheaves  with  Him." 

When  we  enter  heaven  it  will  not  delight  us  that  on  earth  we 
were  great  generals,  or  great  admirals,  or  great  statesmen,  but  it 
will  delight  us  to  see  there  those  who,  through  our  instrumentality, 
were  saved.    That  shares  the  very  heart  of  Christ. 

"He  will  be  wondered  at"  in  the  old  sense  of  the  word 
admired  in  all  them  that  believe,  and  the  whole  ransomed 
church  of  God  will  be  His  crown  of  rejoicing.  "He  shall 
see  of  the  travail  of  His  soul  and  be  satisfied."  So  when 
we  see  those  of  them  whom  we  have  influenced  to  become 
Christians,  or  more  faithful  Christians,  they  will  be  our 
"crown  of  rejoicing." 

When  Spurgeon  died  a  memorial  service  of  his  death 
was  held  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  I  was  invited  to 
deliver  the  oration;  and  in  my  first  volume  of  sermons  is 
that  oration.  As  a  part  of  the  oration  I  drew  a  picture, 
and  yet  a  scriptural  picture,  of  those  who  greeted  Spurgeon 
when  he  entered  heaven — the  aged  widows  whom  he  had 
sheltered  and  protected,  the  orphans  whom  he  had  clothed 
and  fed,  the  young  preachers  whom  he  had  instructed  and 
whose  expenses  he  had  largely  met  and  who  were  supplied 
with  libraries  by  his  wife — these  all,  passing  into  heaven, 
were  standing  on  the  battlements  to  shout  their  welcome 
to  the  coming  preacher,  and  he  shouted  back,  "Ye  are  my 
crown  of  rejoicing,"  and  it  is  this  to  which  Paul  alludes 
when  he  says,  "For  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than 
that  which  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ.  But  if  any  man 
buildeth  on  the  foundation  gold,  silver,  costly  stones,  wood, 
hay,  stubble;  *  *  *  a  day  of  fire  shall  declare  it,"  and 
the  bad  material  that  he  has  put  on  shall  be  his  loss.  He, 
himself,  who  is  on  the  foundation  will  be  saved,  but  only 
the  good  material  that  he  has  put  in  the  building  will  be 


288      GALATIANS,  ROIVIANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

his  reward.  "He  will  come  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him." 

We  now  come  to  an  exhortation  upon  which  I  wish  to 
give  a  few  remarks.  "I  exhort  Euodia,  and  I  exhort  Syn- 
tyche,  to  be  of  the  same  mind  in  the  Lord.  Yea,  I  beseech 
thee  also,  true  yokefellow,  help  these  women,  for  they 
labored  with  me  in  the  gospel,  with  Clement  also,  and  the 
rest  of  my  fellow-workers,  whose  names  are  in  the  book 
of  life." 

The  position  of  women  in  Macedonia  was  far  superior 
to  many  other  countries,  and  the  Macedonian  women  were 
particularly  prominent  and  useful  in  the  Philippian  church. 
That,  in  fact,  accounted  in  part  for  the  great  liberality 
of  that  church.  Here  were  two  sisters,  both  prominent, 
both  great  workers,  that  helped  Paul  when  he  was  there, 
and  also  Clement,  and  they  helped  all  the  rest  of  Paul's 
fellow-workers.  But  they  fell  apart,  I  do  not  know  just 
why.  There  might  have  been  some  little  talk  at  a  quilting, 
but  I  am  pretty  sure  it  was  not  at  a  bridge  party.  Or  it 
might  have  been  at  a  Ladies'  Aid  Society.  How  sad! 
Paul  stands  up  for  these  women.  He  gives  them  both  a 
certificate  of  good  character ;  they  were  both  noble  workers, 
his  fellow-laborers.  He  exhorts  somebody,  whoever  this 
true  yokefellow  is,  to  help  these  women  to  get  together. 
It  is  a  very  sad  thing  when  two  prominent  men  in  a  church 
get  to  pulling  apart,  but  I  think  it  is  a  sadder  thing  when 
two  prominent  women  get  to  pulling  apart.  Men  know 
better  how  to  put  things  in  a  parenthesis  than  women. 
Whenever  there  is  a  sharp  difference  between  two  women 
in  a  church  it  is  much  more  apt  to  reach  the  home  and 
the  children.  A  man  can  have  a  difference  with  a  man 
and  say  nothing  to  the  wife  about  it,  and  especially  to  the 
children,  but  if  a  woman  has  a  difficulty  everybody  in  the 
house  has  to  hear  about  it,  and  everybody  must  take  sides 
or  get  into  trouble. 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  «89 

/  am  a  great  believer  in  women's  societies.  A  woman's 
society  helped  to  take  care  of  our  Lord.  There  are  a  great 
many  Texas  churches  that  would  have  gone  into  oblivion 
long  ago  but  for  a  few  faithful  zvomen.  They  were  the  life 
and  soul  of  this  Philippian  church. 

It  is  too  bad  that  Euodia  and  Syntyche  could  not  pull 
together.  The  longer  we  serve  as  pastors  the  more  we  find 
Euodias  and  Syntyches,  and  the  Lord  give  us  wisdom  when 
we  come  to  deal  with  these  cases.  "I  beseech  thee  also, 
true  yokefellow,  help  those  women." 

Let  us  look  at  this  word,  "yokefellow."  Is  it  a  proper 
name  or  not?  Farrer  and  others  say  that  this  is  a  proper 
noun,  and  by  a  play  on  words,  not  unusual  with  Paul,  he 
calls  him  a  true  yokefellow.  I  think  Paul  refers  to  Epaph- 
roditus,  who  was  there  when  this  letter  arrived  and  who 
was  the  pastor,  and  he  had  just  demonstrated  at  Rome  that 
he  was  a  true  yokefellow  with  Paul.  The  subscription  says 
that  this  letter  was  carried  by  Epaphroditus.  Paul  could 
refer  to  the  pastor  of  the  church  as  the  yokefellow,  who 
put  his  neck  into  the  yoke  when  he  found  Paul  in  prison 
at  Rome,  and  helped  him  pull  the  gospel  wagon ;  so  I  doubt 
its  being  a  proper  noun. 

Verse  3  closes  this  way :  "Whose  names  are  in  the  book 
of  life."  On  that  book  of  life  I  give  some  scriptures  to 
be  studied:  Exodus  32:32,  33;  Psalm  69:28  and  87:6; 
Isaiah  4:3;  Ezekiel  13:9;  Daniel  12:1;  Luke  10 :  20,  and 
the  following  passages  in  Revelation:  3:5;  13:8;  17:8; 
20: 12;  21 :27,  and  I  also  recommend  that  one  of  my  ser- 
mons in  the  first  book  of  sermons  called  "The  Library  of 
Heaven."  The  last  book  mentioned  as  belonging  to  the 
"Library  of  Heaven"  is  the  book  of  life,  and  in  that  sermon 
will  be  found  some  helpful  light  on  this  book  of  life,  and 
particularly  on  this  question :  When  does  a  man's  name  go 
into  the  book  of  life?  Of  course  in  the  divine  purpose 
the  roll  of  the  saved  was  complete  in  eternity.     He  who 


290      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

hath  numbered  the  very  hairs  of  our  heads  I  presume  has 
numbered  the  heads  as  well,  and  in  that  sense  the  book 
would  be  the  elect  as  in  God's  thought,  but  I  don't  think 
that  is  the  thought  here.  The  book  of  life  is  the  register 
of  the  citizens  enrolled.  He  says,  "Our  citizenship  is  in 
heaven."  Our  names  go  down  and  we  become  citizens, 
that  is,  whenever  we  are  converted.  It  is  a  register  of 
judicial  decisions  recorded  as  each  one  is  justified.  Hence 
this  book  is  the  deciding  thing  at  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ:  "Whosoever  is  not  found  written  in  the  book  of 
life" — already  written  before  the  judgment  day  comes — 
"shall  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  It  is  in  view  of  that 
book  that  we  have  that  good  old  Baptist  hymn : 

"When  thou,  my  righteoeus  Judge,  shalt  come, 
To  take  thy  ransomed  people  home, 

Shall  I  among  them  stand? 
Shall  I,  who  sometimes  am  afraid  to  die. 

Be  found  at  thy  right  hand? 
How  can  I  bear  the  piercing  thought: 
What  if  my  name  should  be  left  out?" 

In  verse  5,  going  on  with  the  running  comment,  we  have 
this  statement,  "The  Lord  is  at  hand."  What  does  that 
mean?  It  does  not  mean  the  Lord's  coming.  It  means 
His  presence.  It  means  that  we  should  live  continually 
as  if  sensible  of  the  presence  of  the  Lord  right  here.  As 
John  says  in  the  letter  to  the  Laodiceans,  "Behold  I  stand 
at  the  door  and  knock" — ^at  the  door  of  the  heart  of  the 
church  member — "and  if  any  man  hear  my  voice  and  open 
the  door  I  will  come  in  and  I  will  sup  with  him  and  he 
will  sup  with  me." 

Commencing  with  verse  6  and  extending  to  verse  9  we 
have  the  famous  recipe  for  happiness  as  found  in  the  anal- 
ysis. Here  is  the  secret  of  happiness,  and  it  certainly 
consists  of  the  following  things : 

I.  "Be  anxious  about  nothing."  We  have  heard  people 
say,  "It  is  the  pace  that  kills."    It  is  not  the  pace  that  kills ; 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  291 

it  is  the  anxiety  that  kills — the  anxiety  that  draws  the 
wrinkles  on  the  brow  and  the  crow's  feet  around  the  eyes, 
and  makes  a  man  look  as  if  he  was  not  only  aged,  but  bur- 
dened— an  Atlas  with  the  world  on  his  shoulders,  and  those 
anxieties  are  the  kill-joys  and  the  most  foolish  things  in 
the  world,  for  nine-tenths  of  the  things  that  we  are  anxious 
about  never  happen.  The  danger  exists  in  our  imagination. 
"A  brave  man  never  dies  but  once — a  coward  is  dying  all 
the  time.    He  dies  every  day  of  his  life." 

My  father  taught  his  children  a  solemn  lesson.  He  had 
only  twelve  children  of  his  own,  so  he  adopted  three  other 
families,  making  twenty-five  in  all,  and  in  the  winter  time 
the  great  room  of  our  house  was  the  dining-room,  about 
forty  feet  long,  and  a  fire-place  eight  feet  wide.  It  took 
two  grown  men  to  bring  in  the  back  log  for  us.  Now,  with 
that  big  fire-place  roaring  and  the  big,  heavy  dining-table 
pushed  back,  the  twenty-five  of  us  would  gather  around 
that  fire  and  he  would  talk  and  instruct  us.  One  day — I 
shall  never  forget  it — it  was  Saturday — the  dining-table 
had  just  been  pushed  back  and  every  boy  on  the  place 
was  growling  because  they  had  planned  to  go  fishing  and 
it  was  pouring  down  rain.  My  father  looked  around  and 
said,  "Boys,  by  the  will  of  God,  I  give  you  permission  to 
fret  and  be  anxious  about  everything  in  the  world  but  two 
things."  We  thought  this  allowed  us  a  big  margin  and 
eagerly  asked  what  they  were.    This  was  his  answer: 

"First,  never  fret  or  be  anxious  about  a  thing  you  can 
help.    If  you  can  help  it,  just  help  it,  and  quit  worrying. 

"Second,  never  fret  about  a  thing  you  can't  help,  for 
fretting  won't  do  any  good." 

The  more  we  thought  about  it  the  more  we  found  that 
there  wasn't  any  margin  about  it  at  all;  the  two  things 
covered  all  things. 

In  Psalm  37  is  a  passage  that  I  have  read  at  family 
prayers  oftener  than  any  other  in  the  Bible,  another  recipe 


29£      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

for  happiness:   "Fret  not  yourselves  because  of  evil  doers 

*  *  *  Trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good  *  *  ♦  Delight  thyself 
also  in  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass.  Rest  in 
the  Lord ;  wait  patiently  for  Him.  *  *  *  I  have  seen  the 
v^^icked  in  great  power,  spreading  himself  like  a  green  bay 
tree;  and  lo!  he  passed  away.  *  *  *  i  have  never  seen 
the    righteous    forsaken    nor   his    seeding   begging   bread. 

*  *  *  The  steps  of  a  good  man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord." 
To  the  same  effect  is  our  Savior's  Sermon  on  the  Mount : 
"Be  not  anxious  for  the  morrow,  as  to  what  ye  shall  eat 
or  drink,  or  what  ye  shall  put  on."  That  is  the  first  step 
in  the  recipe  for  happiness.  Throw  anxieties  over  your 
shoulders.    They  don't  do  a  bit  of  good. 

It  was  a  custom  in  that  big  family  of  ours  to  practice 
archery.  It  was  noticeable  that  whenever  a  boy  drew  an 
arrow  to  the  head  and  let  it  fly  at  the  target,  if  the  arrow, 
visible  in  its  flight,  seemed  to  be  going  too  far  to  the  right 
he  would  lean  to  the  left,  as  if  his  leaning  would  shape 
the  course  of  a  shaft  after  it  was  sped  from  the  bow.  So 
in  futile  anxiety  we  waste  our  strength  on  impossible  things. 

2.  "But  in  everything  by  prayer  and  supplication  with 
thanksgiving  let  your  requests  be  made  known  unto  God." 
When  we  are  troubled  about  anything  let  us  take  it  to  the 
Lord  in  prayer.  We  can't  carry  it.  Let  us  put  it  on  Him. 
That  is  the  second  step.  What  is  the  result?  "And  the 
peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding  shall  keep 
your  hearts  and  minds  through  Christ  Jesus."  The  peace 
of  God! 

3.  The  first  step  disposes  of  anxiety,  and  the  second 
substitutes  prayers  and  supplication  with  thanksgiving.  The 
third  element  of  the  recipe  relates  to  the  government  of 
the  thoughts :  "Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are 
true,  whatsoever  things  are  honorable,  whatsoever  things 
are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things 
are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report;  if  there 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  293 

be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these 
things." 

I  call  attention  to  a  law.  We  become  assimilated,  that  is, 
made  like  unto  the  things  that  we  habitually  and  steadfastly 
contemplate.  If  we  habitually  think  about  falsehood,  and 
dishonesty,  and  murder,  and  unlawful  things,  and  things 
of  bad  report,  and  immodest  things,  then  we  become  like 
them. 

A  lady  member  of  my  church  had  great  concern  about 
the  future  of  her  daughter.  I  said  to  her,  "My  sister,  what 
sort  of  pictures  do  you  hang  up  in  your  daughter's  room 
to  look  at  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  and  the  last  thing 
at  night?  If  you  want  her  to  be  unselfish,  put  up  the  pic- 
ture of  Florence  Nightingale  or  Clara  Barton.  If  you 
want  her  to  be  modest  or  pure  in  heart,  put  up  the  picture 
of  Mrs.  Prentiss.  If  you  want  her  to  be  worldly-minded, 
then  put  up  those  fashionable  pictures  that  represent  worldly 
things,  like  a  round  of  fashionable  social  games  and  pleas- 
ures, as  the  thing  for  her  to  think  about." 

While  I  am  talking  about  pictures  I  am  not  referring  so 
much  to  painted  canvas  as  to  the  direction  of  habitual 
thoughts.    It  is  a  tremendous  lesson. 

God  pity  the  poor  girl  whose  selfish,  worldly-minded 
mother  is  thinking  only  of  society's  demands  and  leaves 
the  girl's  soul  beggarly  and  bankrupt  in  the  sight  of  God, 

Dr.  Broadus  used  to  say,  "The  best  way  to  judge  a  man 
is  to  ask  him  to  tell  what  he  reads  when  he  is  tired.  On 
what  does  he  relax  his  mind."  Some  people  want  to  go 
to  a  show,  some  to  read  yellow-back  literature,  some  to 
take  a  moral  furlough.  Our  habitual  trend  is  evidenced 
by  what  our  minds  turn  to  as  soon  as  restraint  of  duty  is 
removed.  What  comes  to  us  first — say,  on  Monday  morn- 
ing after  we  have  preached  on  Sunday — on  what  the 
preachers  call  "Blue  Monday?" 

4.     The  fourth  element  of  the  recipe  for  happiness  is  in 


294      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

the  verses  ii,  12,  13:  "I  have  learned  in  whatsoever  state 
I  am,  therein  to  be  content.  I  know  how  to  be  abased, 
and  I  know  how  to  abound :  in  everything  and  in  all  things 
have  I  learned  the  secret  both  to  be  filled  and  to  be  hungry, 
both  to  abound  and  to  be  in  want.  I  can  do  all  things  in 
Him  that  strengtheneth  me."  Of  course  that  man  is  un- 
happy whose  happiness  depends  on  a  big  dinner,  and  he 
can't  get  it,  or  upon  the  weather;  he  is  miserable  because 
it  rains  or  is  cold,  or  if  the  bank  breaks  and  the  crop  fails. 
Here  I  give  a  secret  that  I  told  all  over  Texas  in  1887: 
The  springs  of  our  happiness  are  never  outside  of  us  hut 
in  us.  If  we  are  all  right  inside,  the  external  things  can't 
disturb  our  happiness.  The  remarkable,  acute  discernment 
of  Robert  Burns  expresses  the  thought  exactly: 

"  'Tis  no*  in  title,  nor  in  rank, 
'Tis  no'  in  wealth  like  Lundon  bank. 
To  give  us  peace  and  rest; 
If  happiness  has  not  her  seat 
And  center  in  the  breast ; 
We  may  be  wise,  or  rich,  or  great, 
But  never  can  be  blest." 

I  have  already  discussed  the  oflferings  that  Paul  next 
refers  to,  and  so  I  come  to  the  conclusion  of  the  letter: 
"Salute  every  saint  in  Christ  Jesus."  But  suppose  a  man 
is  a  Methodist!  Well,  if  he  be  a  saint,  salute  him.  If  he 
be  a  Roman  Catholic,  give  him  the  hand  of  fellowship — not 
the  hand  of  church  fellowship — ^but  Christian  fellowship; 
rejoice  in  heart  over  every  really  converted  soul  of  what- 
ever denomination. 

"They  that  are  of  Caesar's  household  salute  you."  What 
was  Caesar's  household?  It  does  not  mean  Caesar's  indi- 
vidual family,  but  his  slaves  and  dependents.  The  house- 
hold of  a  Roman  Emperor  included  clients  and  advisers, 
as  well  as  hundreds  of  slaves,  well-trained,  efficient,  edu- 
cated, and  many  of  them  nobles  in  their  own  land  before 
their  captivity.     Some  of  the  noblest  men  and  women  in 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  TEARS  295 

Rome  were  slaves  who  had  been  princes  and  princesses  in 
their  own  land;  some  of  them  had  been  heroes.  Caesar's 
household  was  very  extensive.  Dr.  Light  foot  calls  attention 
to  the  fact  that  a  recent  discovery  bears  on  this  passage. 
He  says  that  the  names  of  170  members  of  Caesar's  house- 
hold are  inscribed  on  the  monuments  that  have  been  dis- 
covered, and  they  include  quite  a  number  of  names  men- 
tioned in  Paul's  Letter  to  the  Romans. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  sense  of  "perfect"  in  3 :  15,  and  what  its  distinc- 
tion from  "perfected"  in  3:  12? 

2.  What  the  sense  of  "reveal"  in  3 :  15? 

3.  What  two  examples,  one  good  and  the  other  bad,  are  put 
before  us  in  3:  17,  18,  and  who  are  these  "enemies  of  the  cross?" 

4.  Cite  the  instances  of  Paul's  weeping,  showing  for  what  in 
each  case,  and  cite  every  instance  of  our  Lord's  weeping  and  for 
what  in  each  case,  together  with  a  pertinent  passage  from  the 
Psalms  concerning  the  same,  and  the  cases  of  Elisha  and  Jeremiah, 
all  bearing  on  the  ministry  of  tears. 

5.  Who  has  given  a  great  discourse  on  the  tears  of  Paul? 

6.  Cite  the  first  stanza  of  the  hymn  on  the  weeping  of  Christ, 
and  Macaulay's  couplet  on  Henry  of  Navarre  in  the  battle  of  Ivry. 

7.  What  the  allusion  in  "Our  citizenship  is  in  heaven,"  and  what 
the  parallel  passage  in  Ephesians? 

&  On  the  "whence  also  we  wait  for  our  Lord,"  verse  20,  cite  a 
passage  from  the  Psalms  and  one  from  Peter  in  Acts,  showing 
how  long  our  Lord  remains  in  heaven,  and  a  pertinent  passage  each 
from  Romans  and  I  Corinthians  to  show  what  his  employment  is  in 
heaven. 

9.  What  Paul's  "crown  of  rejoicing"  in  4:1,  and  our  Lord's  at 
the  judgment? 

10.  Why  is  an  alienation  between  two  prominent  good  wornen  of 
a  church  more  disastrous  and  more  difficult  to  heal  than  in  the 
case  of  men? 

11.  Who  the  yokefellow  in  4:2,  and  does  the  reference  to  Clement 
mean  that  he,  with  the  women,  labored  with  Paul,  or  that  these 
women  labored  with  Clement  and  others  as  well  as  Paul? 

12.  Cite  the  passages  in  both  Testaments  on  the  "book  of  life," 
tell  what  it  is,  when  the  enrollment  takes  place,  and  what  its 
final  use. 

13.  Cite  a  stanza  from  a  great  hymn  bearing  on  this  final  use. 

14.  What  the  meaning  of  "The  Lord  is  at  hand,"  and  cite  a 
similar  passage  from  James  and  one  from  Revelation. 

15.  State  the  four  elements  of  the  recipe  for  happiness  in  4 : 6-8, 
11-13,  and  give  parallel  to  same,  part  in  Psalms  and  part  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

16.  What  the  meaning  of  Caesar's  household? 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON 

XXVIII 
Scripture:  Phile.  1-25 

THIS  letter  was  addressed  to  Philemon,  Apphia,  Ar- 
chippus,  and  the  church  in  Philemon's  house.  The 
probable  relations  of  these  parties  to  each  other  are 
as  follows:  Philemon  the  husband,  Apphia  the  wife, 
Archippus  the  son,  Philemon  was  probably  pastor  of  the 
church  in  his  own  house,  and  Archippus  probably  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Colosse,  or  possibly  at  Hierapolis.  This 
letter  was  principally  addressed  to  Philemon  because  he, 
alone,  under  the  law,  had  full  control  over  Onesimus  for 
life  or  death,  and  his  decision  was  final.  The  family  and 
the  church  in  his  house  were  included  because  the  status 
of  Onesimus,  when  determined  by  Philemon,  would  neces- 
sarily interest  and  affect  them  all. 

The  relation  of  Paul  to  Philemon  prior  to  this  letter  is 
given  in  verse  19,  in  which  Paul  says,  "Thou  owest  to  me 
even  thine  own  self,"  which  implies  that  he  was  Paul's 
convert.  This  conversion  probably  occurred  in  Paul's  two 
years'  meeting  at  Ephesus  when  "All  they  that  dwelt  in 
Asia  heard  the  word  of  the  Lord,  both  Jews  and  Greeks," 
Acts  19 :  10. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Lycus  valley  were  doubtless  accus- 
tomed to  attend  the  May  Festivals  at  Ephesus  in  honor 
of  Diana  "whom  all  Asia  worshiped,"  Acts  19:27.  Paul's 
meeting  overlapped  two  of  these  festivities.  Paul  also  calls 
Philemon  his  "beloved  and  fellow-worker,"  verse  i,  and  his 

S97 


«98      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

"partner,"  verse  17.  The  terms  seem  to  imply  that  Philemon 
was  a  preacher.  Moreover,  Paul  heard  reports  by  Epaph- 
ras  of  Philemon's  faith  and  work,  verses  5-7. 

Paul's  previous  relation  to  Archippus  is  seen  from  the 
following  statements:  He  calls  him  "fellow-soldier,"  verse 
2,  and  in  the  accompanying  letter  to  the  Colossians,  4: 17, 
he  sends  this  message :  "Say  to  Archippus,  Take  heed  to 
the  ministry  which  thou  hast  received  in  the  Lord,  that 
thou  fulfill  it."  So  it  is  probable  that  Archippus  also  was 
a  convert  of  Paul  and  ordained  by  him. 

Doubtless  his  family  lived  at  Colosse  (Compare  verses  2, 
II,  12,  16  with  Col.  1:2;  4:9,  17)  and  other  letters  were 
sent  at  the  same  time  with  this,  viz. :  Colossians  and  Ephe- 
sians  (Compare  Philemon  10,  13;  Col.  4:7,  9;  Eph.  6:21), 
the  date  of  which  is  about  a.d.  63. 

The  characteristics  of  the  Letter  to  Philemon  are,  (a)  It 
it  one  of  the  shortest  in  the  New  Testament,  (b)  It  is 
more  personal  than  any  other  except  perhaps  II  John. 
Ill  John,  though  personal  also,  has  more  to  say  of  mis- 
sionary and  church  matters,  (c)  It  is  about  a  private 
matter  over  which  Philemon  has  absolute  legal  control. 

This  brief  personal  letter  about  a  private  matter  is  of 
immense  importance,  and  therefore  was  incorporated  into 
the  inspired  Bible.  That  private  matter  touches  the  world- 
wide institution  of  slavery — an  institution  as  old  as  human 
history — and  discloses  the  attitude  of  Christianity  toward 
the  institution.  But  there  are  other  Pauline  passages  which 
also  disclose  Christianity's  attitude  toward  slavery.  Paul 
himself  in  Gal.  3 :  27,  28  declares,  "For  as  many  of  you  as 
were  baptized  into  Christ  did  put  on  Christ.  In  Christ  Jesus 
there  can  be  neither  bond  nor  free."  And  in  I  Cor.  12 :  13 
he  declares:  "In  one  Spirit  were  we  all  baptized  into  one 
body,  whether  bond  or  free,"  and  in  Col.  3:11  he  declares : 
"In  the  new  man  there  cannot  be  Greek  and  Jew,  circum- 
cision and  uncircumcision,  barbarian,  Scythian,  bondman, 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON  299 

freeman ;    but  Christ  is  all  and  in  all."     These  are  great 
principles. 

These  passages  teach  (i)  In  Christ  there  can  be  no  dis- 
tinction between  bond  and  free.  (2)  In  water-baptism  there 
can  be  none.  (3)  In  the  Spirit-baptism  there  can  be  none. 
(4)  In  the  church  there  can  be  none.  These  settle  the  atti- 
tude of  Christianity  toward  slavery  so  far  as  principles  go. 
Moreover,  in  Col.  3 :  22 — 4 :  i ;  Eph.  6:5-9;  I  Tim.  6:1,2; 
Tit.  2:9,  10  he  sets  forth  with  great  clearness  the  reciprocal 
duties  of  the  Christian  master  and  slave.  These  passages 
settle  Christianity's  attitude  toward  slavery  so  far  as  duties 
go.  But  in  both  principles  and  duties  the  discussion  is 
abstract.  The  peculiar  value  of  Philemon  is  that  it  gives 
us  a  concrete  case,  all  the  parties  involved  not  only  being 
prominent  and  well  known,  but  all  belonging  to  one  house- 
hold and  to  one  church.  The  slave  is  named  and  his  offense. 
The  master,  his  wife,  his  son  and  his  church  are  named. 
An  inspired  apostle  comes  in  contact  with  the  fugitive  slave. 
Not  then  in  abstract  generalities  as  given  in  the  two  sets 
of  passages  above,  but  in  a  most  specific  and  concrete  case 
what  will  Christianity  do?  Not  what  ought  it  to  do,  but 
what  did  it  do  ?    Let  us  not  shun  the  particulars : 

1.  It  convicted  the  slave  of  the  double  sin  of  fleeing 
from  the  master  and  of  robbing  him. 

2.  It  led  him  to  repentance  and  reformation. 

3.  It  converted  him  to  Christ,  thus  bringing  him  into  a 
blessed  state  of  peace  with  God. 

4.  It  manifested  intense  sympathy  with  and  love  toward 
this  slave  as  a  man  equal  before  God  with  all  other  men  in 
religious  privileges. 

5.  It  restores  the  now  penitent  fugitive  slave,  with  his 
own  consent,  to  his  master,  according  to  the  laws  of  the 
land,  but  it  identifies  the  slave  with  the  apostle  returning 
him,  who  assumes  all  that  the  slave  owes  the  master  by 
theft  or  loss  of  service. 


900      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

6.  It  counts  the  converted  slave  as  a  spiritual  son  and 
as  the  very  heart  of  the  sender. 

7.  It  commends  him  as  a  brother  in  Christ  to  the  master, 
and  intercedes  for  full  forgiveness. 

8.  It  assumes  not  to  command  that  the  slave  be  set  free, 
but  suggests  it  to  the  master,  as  of  his  own  free  will,  in 
expressing  confidence  that  the  Christian  master  "will  do 
more  than  is  asked."  Thus  Christianity's  attitude  toward 
slavery  is  expressed  in  the  foregoing  principles,  reciprocal 
duties  and  concrete  case.  Without  the  concrete  case  the 
Bible  would  be  incomplete. 

Let  us  see  how  this  attitude  has  been  received: 

1.  Those  who  comprehend  that  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  is  not  of  this  world,  but  having  to  do  with  spiritual 
matters  between  God  and  man  and  between  man  and  man, 
and  stands  opposed  to  arms  and  violence  as  a  means  of 
propagation,  and  that  while  it  claims  that  we  should  render 
unto  God  all  that  is  God's,  and  unto  Caesar  all  that  is 
Caesar's,  are  thoroughly  satisfied  with  this  attitude  and  be- 
lieve that  its  leavening  principles  will  ultimately  abolish 
slavery  and  all  other  legal  evils,  through  the  consent  of 
the  evil  doers  converted  to  God,  and  that  the  evil  doers 
not  converted  to  God  will  be  subjected  to  the  punishments 
of  His  province  and  judgment. 

2.  But  fanatics  in  every  age  have  been  dissatisfied  with 
this  attitude  because  it  deals  only  with  cases  where  slave 
or  master  is  a  Christian,  and  does  not  commence  a  crusade 
against  slave-holding  per  se,  denouncing  and  fighting  govern- 
ments and  legislation  enforcing  or  permitting  slavery,  and 
censure  Christianity  because  it  does  not  resort  to  violence 
to  enforce  its  principles.  It  sneers  at  an  inspired  apostle 
returning  a  fugitive  slave  and  trusting  to  voluntary  love  to 
bring  about  his  emancipation.  For  example,  these  fanatics 
in  this  country  quit  preaching  "Christ  and  Him  crucified" 
and  substituted  the  theme,  "John  Brown  and  him  hanged." 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON  801 

The  result  was  an  emancipation  by  violence  at  a  cost  of 
blood  and  treasure  that  beggars  computation,  leaving  be- 
hind problems  to  be  solved  that  may  prove  to  be  insoluble 
by  human  wisdom. 

Slavery  was  imposed  upon  the  colonies  and  later  upon 
the  States  of  this  Union  as  follows: 

1.  The  mother  country  dumped  upon  the  colonies  con- 
victs and  political  prisoners  as  slaves. 

2.  Some  of  the  colonies  made  slaves  of  conquered 
Indians. 

3.  Men  of  commerce  here  and  in  Europe,  through  greed, 
equipped  slave  ships  and  introduced  African  slavery.  One 
New  England  seaport  fitted  out  a  fleet  of  250  slave  ships, 
thereby  laying  the  foundation  of  colossal  fortunes  which 
their  descendants  enjoy  to  this  day. 

4.  Long  after  the  section  into  which  the  slaves  were 
sold  earnestly  desired  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade,  it 
was  retained  in  the  interest  of  those  enriching  themselves 
by  the  traffic. 

The  best  men  in  both  free  and  slave  sections  regretted 
its  imposition  on  the  nation,  but  in  view  of  many  grave 
complications  were  sorely  puzzled  as  to  the  most  honest 
and  practical  solution  of  the  problem. 

Though  born  and  reared  in  the  South,  personally  I  never 
knew  but  one  politician  who  advocated  the  perpetuity  of 
the  slave  trade.  From  my  earliest  childhood  the  most  famil- 
iar talk  I  can  recall  was  on  this  line :  This  institution  was 
imposed  upon  us.  We  believe  it  to  be  evil,  but  we  recognize 
difficulties  and  complications  in  the  solution  of  the  evil 
calling  for  the  highest  human  wisdom  and  forbearance. 
Its  rigors  should  be  abated  and  gradual  emancipation  en- 
couraged where  provision  can  be  made  for  the  care  of 
those  emancipated.  Indeed,  the  first  time  I  ever  heard  the 
word,  "Abolitionist,"  it  was  applied  to  me,  only  a  child, 
because  I  said,  "There  ought  to  be  no  slaves." 


302      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

In  Paul's  day  slavery  as  an  institution  was  world-wide 
and  had  so  existed  from  the  beginning  of  history.  More 
than  half  the  population  of  the  Roman  empire  were  slaves. 
The  slave  had  no  rights  in  law.  He  could  be  tortured, 
maimed,  crucified,  fed  to  fishes,  or  thrown  to  wild  beasts 
at  the  will  of  his  master.  The  majority  of  these  slaves 
were  war-captives,  equal  to  their  masters  in  social  position 
and  heroism,  and  oftentimes  superior  in  education  and 
patriotism.  This  immense  servile  population  formed  an 
ever  restless,  seething,  muttering  volcano  beneath  the  fabric 
of  society. 

Servile  insurrections  of  magnitude  had  occurred,  threat- 
ening to  upheave  and  destroy  the  foundations  of  govern- 
ment. Here  and  there  some  high-spirited  slave — a  hero, 
noble,  or  prince  in  his  own  country — resented,  by  violence, 
the  indignities  heaped  upon  him  by  a  cruel  and  capricious 
master.  Hence  a  law  was  enacted  by  Augustus  Caesar  that 
when  a  master  was  killed  by  a  slave,  all  the  other  slaves 
of  the  household  should  be  put  to  death.  Many  rich,  cor- 
rupt Romans  had  hundreds  of  slaves.  A  case  in  point 
occurred  about  the  time  Paul  entered  Rome  as  a  prisoner. 
An  infuriated  slave,  unable  in  his  proud  spirit  to  endure 
longer  the  tyranny  and  cruelty  to  which  he  was  subjected, 
slew  his  Roman  master,  Pedanius.  When  it  was  found 
that  400  fellow  household  slaves  must  now  perish,  under 
the  law,  by  wholesale  execution,  there  were  popular  appeal 
and  protest.  But  the  inexorable  Senate  decided  that  public 
safety  demanded  the  enforcement  of  the  law,  and  so  they 
sent  out  a  battalion  of  the  Praetorian  Guard  to  repress 
popular  interference  and  see  that  the  law  was  enforced. 
So,  surrounded  by  the  imperial  guard,  the  400  innocent 
men,  women  and  children  were  publicly  executed. 

Roman  literature  of  Paul's  day  and  later  teems  with 
allusions  to  the  danger  to  the  State  arising  from  the  system 
of  slavery.     Historians,  poets,  and  orators  grew  eloquent 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON  303 

on  the  dangers  toward  the  State  and  the  masters,  but  seemed 
not  to  reaUze  the  horrors  of  the  system  toward  the  slave. 

Our  Lord  had  said,  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world, 
else  would  my  servants  fight."  The  mission  of  Christianity 
would  have  perished  if  it  had,  as  a  political,  earth-force, 
preached  a  crusade  against  civil  institutions  and  relations. 
It  contented  itself  by  lifting  master  and  slave  into  a  spir- 
itual kingdom  where  in  Christ  there  would  be  neither  bond 
nor  free,  but  all  were  brothers,  with  equal  religious  privi- 
/«  tian  civilization,  in  whose  atmosphere  all  men  become  equal,- 
^  leges  and  rights.  This  leaven  ultimately  creates  a  Chris- ^ 
even  in  civil  matters. 

One  privilege  remained  to  the  slave — ^he  might  flee  to 
an  influential  friend  of  his  master  and  implore  his  inter- 
cession. A  case  in  point  is  as  follows :  About  thirty  years 
after  Paul's  letter,  a  fugitive  slave  of  a  rich  Roman  fled 
to  the  noblest  Roman  of  his  day,  Pliny  the  younger.  For- 
tunately for  literature,  Pliny's  letter  of  intercession,  when 
he  returned  the  fugitive  slave  to  his  master,  has  been  pre- 
served, furnishing  an  historical  parallel  to  Paul's  letter  apart 
from  its  religious  element. 

Following  is  a  translation  of  Pliny's  letter : 

"Caius  Pliny  to  Sabinianus,  health:  Thy  freedman,  with  whom 
thou  saidst  thou  wast  incensed,  came  to  me,  and  falling  at  my  feet, 
as  if  at  thine,  clung  to  them.  He  wept  much,  much  he  entreated, 
and  much  was  the  force  of  his  silence.  In  short,  he  fully  satisfied 
me  of  his  penitence.  Truly  I  believe  him  to  be  reformed,  because 
he  is  sensible  of  his  wrong.  Thou  art  angry  I  know;  and  thou  art 
angry  justly,  this  also  I  know;  but  clemency  has  then  the  highest 
praise,  when  there  is  the  greatest  cause  for  anger.  Thou  hast  loved 
the  man,  and  I  hope  thou  wilt  love  him.  Meanwhile  it  is  sufficient 
that  thou  suffer  thyself  to  be  entreated.  It  will  be  right  for  thee 
to  be  angry  with  him  again,  if  he  shall  deserve  it,  because  having 
once  yielded  to  entreaty,  thine  anger  will  be  the  more  just. 

"Forgive  something  in  view  of  his  youth.  Forgive  on  account 
of  his  tears.  Forgive  for  the  sake  of  thine  own  kindness.  Do  not 
torture  him,  lest  thou  torture  also  thyself;  for  thou  wilt  be  in  tor- 
ture, when  thou,  who  art  so  gentle,  shalt  be  angry.  I  fear  lest,  if 
to  his  prayers  I  should  unite  my  own,  I  should  seem  not  to  ask,  but 
to  compel.  Yet  I  will  unite  them,  and  the  more  fully  and  abundantly 
in  that  I  have  very  sharply  and  severely  reproved  him,  strictly  threat- 


904      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

ening  that  I  will  never  hereafter  intercede  for  him.  This  I  said  to 
him  because  it  was  necessary  to  alarm  him;  but  I  do  not  say  the 
same  to  thee.  For  perchance  I  shall  intercede  again,  and  shall  ag^in 
obtain ;  only  that  my  request  be  such  as  it  befits  me  to  ask  and  thee 
to  grant.     Farewell." 

The  letter  of  the  noble  heathen  does  him  great  credit, 
not  only  as  an  epistolary  gem,  exquisite  in  tact  and  style, 
but  shows  his  kindliness  of  heart  toward  an  unfortunate 
man  shut  off  by  law  from  human  right  or  privilege.  But 
it  does  not  recognize  the  inherent  manhood  of  a  slave.  It 
makes  no  plea  on  that  score.  There  is  condescending  pity 
in  it,  but  no  appeal  to  God's  fatherhood  or  man's  brother- 
hood. It  sees  no  place  in  time  or  eternity  where  master 
and  slave,  on  a  footing  of  equality,  stand  without  distinc- 
tion of  person  or  social  position  before  a  supreme  and 
final  judge.  It  does  not  commend  the  slave  as  Pliny's  son, 
or  very  heart,  or  as  a  brother  beloved  to  Sabinianus.  It 
does  not  offer  to  make  good  whatever  debt  the  slave,  under 
the  law,  may  owe  to  the  master.  As  the  heavenly  kingdom 
is  higher  than  the  Roman  empire,  so  far  does  Paul's  letter 
surpass  the  letter  of  the  noble  heathen. 

For  other  purposes  than  illustration  and  comparison  this 
letter  of  Piny  is  here  introduced.  It  brings  to  the  fore  these 
questions : 

1.  Did  Onesimus,  like  the  slave  of  Sabinianus,  designedly 
flee  to  Rome  to  invoke  the  intercession  of  Paul  as  an  in- 
fluential friend  of  his  master,  Philemon? 

2.  Had  there  been  opportunity  to  Onesimus  to  suffi- 
ciently know  Paul  and  his  relation  to  Philemon  as  a  war- 
rant for  this  step? 

3.  Was  Paul,  before  this  letter,  ever  in  the  Lycus  valley, 
thus  affording  the  opportunity  of  this  knowledge  to 
Onesimus? 

The  answers  to  these  questions  in  order  are  as  follows: 

I.    In  the  absence  of  any  statement  from  Paul  as  to  how 

he  first  met  Onesimus  in  Rome,  we  may  for  the  present 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON  305 

say  only  this  much:  It  is  possible  that  Onesimus  de- 
signedly fled  to  Rome  to  seek  Paul's  intercession  with  his 
master,  and  hence  that  Onesimus  himself  brought  about 
the  first  meeting  with  the  apostle  for  this  very  purpose. 

2.  It  is  every  way  probable  that  Onesimus  had  ample 
opportunity  to  sufficiently  know  Paul  and  his  influential 
relations  with  Philemon  to  warrant  the  step.  This  knowl- 
edge may  have  come  about  in  eicher  of  two  ways :  Philemon, 
in  his  visits  to  Ephesus,  the  metropolis  of  his  province, 
either  while  a  heathen  attending  the  annual  festival  in  honor 
of  Diana,  or  after  his  conversion  in  attending  Paul's  meet- 
ing, may  have  followed  a  common  custom  not  only  in 
taking  his  wife  and  son,  but  his  household  slaves.  In  this 
way  Onesimus  could  have  known  Paul.  Again,  a  house- 
hold slave  must  have  heard  much  of  the  great  apostle,  who 
was  not  only  revolutionizing  all  Asia,  but  especially  had  revo- 
lutionized this  family,  husband,  wife,  and  son,  and  had  led 
to  Christ  Epaphras,  the  evangelist,  who  had  planted  the 
churches  in  the  Lycus  valley.  In  the  same  way  he  must 
have  known  that  Epaphras  had  gone  to  Rome  to  see  Paul, 
a  prisoner  there. 

Thus  the  opportunity  for  knowledge  was  ample.  And 
when  we  consider  the  fact  that  after  Onesimus  reached 
Rome,  knowing  Paul  was  there,  it  would  be  natural  for 
a  fugitive  slave,  anxious  to  escape  detection,  to  avoid  meet- 
ing one  so  well  acquainted  with  his  master's  family,  and 
it  would  be  quite  easy  to  avoid  the  meeting,  since  Paul 
was  hindered  from  moving  about  by  his  chain,  and  his  place 
of  confinement  as  a  prisoner  would  be  well  known,  unless 
the  slave  himself  designedly  brought  about  the  meeting. 
Then  our  answer  to  the  previous  question  must  be  changed 
from  "possible"  to  "probable,"  for  this  furnished  an  ade- 
quate reason  for  the  interview,  which  otherwise  the  slave 
had  both  reason  and  ability  to  prevent. 

3.    The  third  question,  towit:    Was  Paul  ever,  before 


306      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

this  letter,  in  the  Lycus  valley,  thereby  increasing  the  oppor- 
tunity of  Onesimus  to  know  him?  We  must  divide  the 
question,  settling  first:  Was  Paul  ever  before  in  the  Lycus 
valley?  Some  contend  that  he  was,  because  Acts  i6:6  says, 
"He  went  through  the  region  of  Phrygia  and  Galatia,"  and 
the  Lycus  valley  was  a  part  of  Phrygia.  They  fail  to  note, 
however,  that  all  of  ancient  Phrygia  was  not  incorporated 
into  the  Roman  province  of  Asia,  and  that  the  following 
verse  distinctly  declares  that  he  was  forbidden  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  speak  the  word  in  Asia  at  this  time. 

But  Professor  Ramsay,  an  expert  on  Paul's  travels,  con- 
tending against  Bishop  Lightfoot,  argues  with  great  force 
that  Paul  on  his  third  tour  must  have  passed  through  the 
Lycus  valley  to  reach  Ephesus.  The  scriptures  on  which 
he  bases  his  contention  are  Acts  i8: 23  and  19:  i,  which  say, 
"He  went  through  the  region  of  Galatia,  and  Phrygia,  in 
order,  establishing  the  disciples  *  *  *  and  having  passed 
through  the  upper  country,  came  to  Ephesus."  We  shall 
not  here  attempt  to  decide  whether  Ramsay  or  Lightfoot 
be  correct  about  Paul's  line  of  travel  on  this  occasion,  since 
even  if  one  agree  with  Ramsay  that  it  led  through  Colosse, 
it  has  no  bearing  on  the  opportunity  of  Onesimus  to  know 
Paul.  It  was  simply  a  confirming  tour,  going  over  ground 
previously  traveled,  and  did  not  become  evangelistic  till 
Ephesus  was  reached.  There  is  neither  proof  nor  prob- 
ability that  Paul  stopped  in  the  Lycus  valley  and  no  evi- 
dence whatever  that  he  became  acquainted  with  the  Phile- 
mon-family until  the  great  Ephesus  meeting  described  in 
Acts  19.  Therefore,  Prof.  Ramsay's  contention,  however 
well  sustained,  is  irrelevant  to  the  matter  under  considera- 
tion. 

Tradition  has  something  to  say  of  the  future  of  Onesi- 
mus: 

I.  A  letter  of  Ignatius,  about  a.d.  107,  mentions  an  Ones- 
imus, pastor  at  Ephesus,  and  incidentally  seems  to  allude 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON  307 

several  times  to  matters  in  the  letter  to  the  Colossians,  but 
there  is  nothing  in  this  Ignatius  letter  to  identify  Onesimus, 
pastor  at  Ephesus,  with  Paul's  Onesimus.  The  mere  same- 
ness of  name  proves  nothing. 

2.  Traditions  of  both  the  Roman  and  Greek  churches 
have  much  to  say  of  Paul's  Onesimus,  giving  him  exalted 
positions,  but  the  historical  evidence  underlying  the  tradi- 
tions is  without  value,  practically  amounting  to  nothing. 

After  the  foregoing  discussion  there  is  little  more  in  the 
text  of  the  letter  to  which  attention  needs  to  be  called. 
However,  we  will  look  at  the  section,  8-21,  of  the  letter 
which  has  ever  excited  the  greatest  admiration.  This  sec- 
tion discloses  Paul's  method  of  making  his  plea : 

1.  I  might  enjoin  by  apostolic  authority,  but  do  not. 

2.  I  might  appeal  to  what  you  owe  me,  even  your  very 
salvation,  but  do  not. 

3.  I  might  have  presumed  to  keep  Onesimus  to  serve  me 
in  your  stead,  but  do  not. 

4.  For  love's  sake  I  beseech  rather,  being  such  a  one 
as  Paul,  the  aged,  and  a  prisoner. 

5.  Onesimus  is  the  spiritual  child  of  my  bonds,  my  very 
heart. 

6.  It  may  ha-e  been  God's  providence  that  you  lost  him 
for  a  season  to  have  him  forever. 

7.  Before,  he  was  not  helpful,  though  he  is  named  Ones- 
imus (meaning  helpful) ;  now  he  is  helpful,  justifying  the 
name. 

8.  Before,  he  was  a  slave ;  now,  he  is  a  brother. 

9.  As  you  and  I  are  "partners,"  what  he  is  to  me  let  him 
be  to  you — receive  him  as  you  would  me. 

10.  What  he  owes  you  by  reason  of  theft  or  loss  of 
service  when  absent,  I,  Paul,  give  written  bond  to  pay. 

11.  You  have  refreshed  other  hearts,  refresh  also  the 
heart  of  Paul,  the  aged  prisoner. 

12.  I  am  confident  you  will  do  more  than  I  ask. 


308      GALATIANS,  ROMANS,  PHILIPPIANS 

This  plea  reminds  us  of  other  historical  petitions,  such  as, 
Judah's  plea  for  Benjamin  (Gen.  44:18-34),  and  Jeannie 
Dean's  plea  before  England's  queen  for  her  sister  Effie,  as 
told  by  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  "The  Heart  of  Midlothian." 

On  Lightfoot's  contention  that  "Paul,  the  aged,"  in  verse 
9  should  harmonize  with  Eph.  6 :  20  and  be  rendered,  "Paul 
an  ambassador,"  I  would  say  that  the  form  of  the  word, 
is  not  the  same  as  in  Ephesians.  The  ambassador-feature 
has  already  been  given  in  verse  8.  The  context  demands 
the  usual  meaning  of  the  word,  "aged." 

J.  M.  Pendleton  illustrates,  by  verses  18  and  19,  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ  as  surety  for  the  sinner,  and  the  release  of 
the  obligation  against  the  original  debtor  just  as  soon  as 
the  creditor  charges  the  debt  to  the  surety.  In  this  way 
Old  Testament  saints  could  be  forgiven  before  the  surety 
actually  paid  the  debt  in  expiation. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  To  whom  was  this  letter  addressed? 

2.  What  the  probable  relations  of  these  parties  to  each  other? 

3.  To  whom  was  this  letter  principally  addressed,  and  why  were 
the  others  included  ? 

4.  What  the  relation  of  Paul  to  Philemon  prior  to  this  letter? 

5.  What  Paul's  previous  relation  to  Archippus? 
0.    Where  did  this  family  live? 

7.  What  other  letters  were  sent  at  the  same  time  with  this? 

8.  What  the  date? 

9.  What  the  characteristics  of  the  letter  to  Philemon? 

10.  What  then  gives  this  brief  personal  letter  about  a  private 
matter  its  immense  importance,  and  justifies  its  incorporation  into 
the  inspired  Bible? 

11.  What  other  Pauline  passages  which  also  disclose  Christianity's 
attitude  toward  slavery;  what  their  teaching,  and  what  the  greater 
importance  of  this  letter? 

12.  How  has  this  attitude  been  received? 

13.  What  example  in  this  country? 

14.  How  was  slavery  imposed  upon  the  colonies,  and  later  upon 
the  states  of  this  union? 

15.  What  was  the  state  of  mind  of  the  best  men  in  both  free  and 
slave  sections  toward  the  institution  per  sef 

16.  What  the  condition  in  Paul's  day? 

17.  What  one  privilege  remained  to  the  slave? 

18.  What  case  in  point? 


THE  BOOK  OF  PHILEMON 

19.  What  the  pleas  made  in  Pliny's  letter? 

20.  Compare  this  with  Paul's  letter. 

21.  For  what  other  purposes  than  illustration  and  comparison  is 
this  letter  of  Pliny  introduced? 

22.  What  the  answers  to  these  questions  in  order? 

23.  What  has  tradition  to  say  of  the  future  of  Onesimus  ? 

24.  What  part  of  the  letter  has  ever  excited  the  greatest  admira- 
tion, and  what  the  items  of  Paul's  plea? 

25.  Of  v/hat  other  historical  petitions  does  this  remind  us? 

26.  What  says  the  author  of  Lightfoot's  contention  that  "Paul 
the  aged"  in  verse  9  should  harmonize  with  Eph.  6 :  20  and  be  ren- 
dered, "Paul  an  ambassador?" 

27.  What  great  doctrine  does  J.  M.  Pendleton  illustrate  by  verses 
18,  19,  and  how? 


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